Bella of the Volturi
by AlarataraWitchIce
Summary: What if Bella hadn't jumped off the cliff. What if the Volturi had come looking for her? This can't end well...
1. Chapter 1

**What if Bella hadn't jumped off the cliff? What if the Volturi had come looking for **_**her**_**? This can't end well…**

**Bella P.O.V.**

I remember what…_he _had said before he had left.

"They're the closest thing my world had to royalty. They enforce the laws." And now, I can see why they do. There were so many of them! They were able to encircle me, after they had killed Laurent. Their gray and black cloaks billowed in the wind of the forest.

I wished the Cullens hadn't left. I wished they had stayed to protect me. I wished Edward still wanted me. I wished he was here. To save me from these…vampires. Their sinister red eyes, their razor-sharp, glinting white teeth. The moon hung in the sky, uncloaked by the clouds---no wonder they had come at night; it was one of those rare sunny days. Forks wouldn't know what had happened to me; vampires never left any evidence.

The one with the deepest black cloak---Aro, I recognized from Carlisle's painting---strode forward with such grace that it would put Alice's even lope to shame. His eyes were milky, clouded, but still a brilliant and shocking crimson. His pale skin clashed with his dark hair, that I had mistaken for the hood of his cloak.

His voice was a papery whisper, like someone taking a sword out of a sheath, "Isabella, we are proud to welcome you into our ranks," his words were calm enough, but I could hear the menace behind them. And the desire, and the thirst for power. I could read his expression as well as I could read…_his_.

The others with the second and third blackest cloaks started forward with the same grace, and one had the shock of snow-white hair. No mistaking for a hood there.

A feeling of dread spread over me as someone with enough muscles that could rival Emmet's stepped forward.

I looked at Aro, away from the advancing vampire. I glared at him as I realized what he meant.

My reaction surprised even me.

"No." I said, my tone defiant and my voice not shaking. I narrowed my eyes, and his expression was a trifle shocked before he controlled it. Then it turned semi-incredulous. The other half was kind.

He stepped forward, but stopped when he saw I did not flinch back.

"Isabella," he began, but I cut him off.

"Bella," I said, acid practically dripping from my one word.

"Bella, then." he muttered, stepping even closer---we were almost touching. He lifted a hand and touched my cheek. His touch was just a bit colder than I expected, but his skin was(and looked)like a thin rock, rather than the solid stone I was used to. I did not flinch from him. "I know that they left. I know that you are depressed. I know what they _both _hurt you. But I can give you a second life. An eternity in Volterra. You can be ranked quite highly, I assure you. But you must say yes. The only other option is death, though." he coughed to hide a laugh at my frightened expression.

I was stuck between a rock and a hard place.

**Alice P.O.V.**

I was disturbed by a sudden vision. Bella.

"Alice, what's wrong?" Jasper's face was in my line of vision. I could feel my horrified eyes focus on his concerned ones.

"Bella." I whispered.

Jasper grabbed my shoulders and shook them. "What's wrong, what's wrong with Bella?" he growled.

"The Volturi." was all I could say. He sprang into action, pulling me with him, to find Edward.

"The Volturi are in Forks?" he snarled as he drug me along, the sounds of our passage too quiet for the sleeping humans to hear.

My mind was frozen in place.

The vision kept replaying in my mind. I realized I could see this from Aro's point of view. I could hear his thoughts, as well.

_We had traveled to Forks, a small town where the Cullens had once lived. The Guard had insisted we waited for midnight, when they were sure the girl---Isabella---would still be awake. _

_And she was. But she was talking with another vampire…had the Cullens come back? He talked with a slightly English accent. No, not one of the Cullens. _

_I had walked into the small clearing. _

"_Won't be happy about what?" Isabella asked. Her voice was clear, and it reminded me of someone swirling their finger on a glass. Musical. _

"_About me killing you," the vampire said. He had black hair and a slightly olive complexion. _

_He raised his arm, and I saw Isabella freeze as she spotted me, a black, cloaked figure gliding across the clearing at about twenty miles an hour. _

_I picked up the other vampire up by the throat, from behind. I threw him across the clearing with enough force to knock a human's head off. But Demitri and Felix took care of him. _

_Isabella's shocked face turned into gratitude. "Thank you," she said, and then she shifted to curious. "Now, who are you?" _

_I flicked my eyes to the shadows, and the guard surrounded her. She did not flinch._

"_Isabella, we are proud to welcome you into our ranks," I hoped she could not read my tone. _

_Her chin jutted out a fraction, "No," she said defiantly. Demitri stepped forward, his expression eager. _

_I have to admit I was a little shocked. Who was _she_, to defy _me_?_

_She did not flinch, again, when I stepped forward. _

"_Isabella---" I started, but she did not let me finish. _

"_Bella," her sarcasm was thick in the single word. _

"_Bella, then." I stepped forward again, and laid my hand on her cheek. She seemed used to my cold skin, for she did not gasp in surprise. "I know that they left. I know that you are depressed. I know what they _both _hurt you. But I can give you a second life. An eternity in Volterra. You can be ranked quite highly, I assure you. But you must say yes. The only other option is death, though." she seemed frightened, now, so I had to choke back a laugh. _

_She calmed it in a second, though. But she was practically shaking with fear. Her jaw clenched. _

"_Then I must accept your kind offer, Aro." she bowed her head for a moment, and I could tell I got what I came for. A triumphant smile lit up my face before I could stop it._

"_Excellent!" I nodded to Demitri, who picked her up, wedding style, and we fled the clearing, to the airport in Seattle. _

"NO!" I gasped, appalled. How could she…wait. The other option was death. And she was spared by Death himself.

"Alice, what is it?" Jasper muttered too fast for human ears.

"She had to…there was no other option…oh, no…" I kept repeating, and Jasper and I burst into the attic of the building, where I had seen Edward going. His face looked…well…dead. To say the best.

His head snapped up, and I saw him look at us. "Alice, Jasper, what?" his tone was dead, too. "Are Carlisle and Esme alright?"

"Yes," Jasper looked at Edward, and couldn't shake the concern off him.

"Then what's wrong?" Edward's eyes flickered between my horrified face and Jasper's mask of fury.

"Bella," I managed to whisper.

Edward was over to me in a flash. "What's wrong with Bella?!" he was desperate.

"The Volturi are in Forks" before I had gotten all the words out, Edward was in motion, dialing Carlisle's cell and talking aggressively into the phone, snarling, growling words. He was also cursing.

My eyes widened at what I heard. Edward was going to Italy to get Bella back.

When he snapped the phone shut, I looked at him with all the authority I could muster, and said, "Edward, we're coming with you." Jasper nodded.

Edward started shaking his head, and I protested, "Jasper will need to calm them down so it doesn't turn into all of us getting killed."

"I'd gladly get killed if it was for Bella," and with that, Edward was jumping out the window, landing lithely on the concrete ground, fuming with anger.

Jasper and I nodded for a fraction of a second, and we were sailing through the window, as well. Well, at least we didn't have to punch through the wall.

We were getting Bella back. No matter the cost.

**Bella's P.O.V.**

"Then I must accept your kind offer, Aro." I bowed my head in respect. When I lifted it, Aro's face was alight with a smile so sinister, I almost started shaking.

He nodded ever so slightly to the Emmet-comparison, and he picked me up, and at light speed we headed for the airport in Seattle.

**Edward's P.O.V **

I was going to rip those nasty Volturi to pieces. My Bella would not be left by me, not anymore. It was a mistake to leave her. I didn't know she would attract danger like a magnet anymore. I thought that bad luck was due to me, but I was obviously wrong.

They were going to pay if they merely touched a hair on her head. If they so much as let her get a cut, they were going to have to answer to _me_.

I talked to Carlisle, and told him the situation. He seemed appalled. But I hung up the phone and leapt out the window.

I ran hard and fast. The exhilaration was lost from this run. Replaced by a dark fury that drove me faster and faster. I let it take me over. Bella. Must. Get. To. Bella.

The others trailed farther behind than usual. The anger did not release me until I had to act human at the airport. I had to buy a ticket to Italy. I had to get my Bella back.

**Bella's P.O.V**

This was not going to end well for me. Death or vampire life. I chose the second option. Because if I did not exist, Edward would cease to exist as well.

The wind rushed past the mountain-like vampire that carried me. And I remembered being slung on Edward's back, when he ran. When I was whole. When I didn't have this gaping hole in my chest. And when I knew that Edward loved me. But he didn't now. He told me himself. He didn't want me. Not anymore, anyways. Sad, but true. I had always known that I would get snapped out of my fairytale sometime. And that it would hurt when I did. I just didn't know it would hurt so _bad_. And hurt for so _long_. Time doesn't heal anything. Physical pain, sure. Everything physical gets cured somehow.

By the person dying, or maybe finding a cure, or getting a cast. But the person will never be the same on the inside. Never move past something like this.

**Aro's P.O.V. **

She was able to elude both mine, and Edwards talents. And I had Jane stare directly at her and try her gift. And Alec. Neither worked. I could only imagine the joy she would be when she was immortal.

**Alice's P.O.V. **

No, no, no, no, no. This could _not _be happening. It couldn't work out this way. No, no, no, no!!!!!! I couldn't make words come out of my mouth. I couldn't comfort Edward, because I could _see _and _feel _his anger. I mirrored it. I reflected it. My sister, Bella, was in trouble. I had to help.

**Edward's P.O.V.**

The plane ride was most unsettling. I was angry at the Volturi for taking Bella. I was angry at myself for putting her in danger. I was angry at the pilot for not getting this show on the road. I wanted to kick him out of the cockpit and fly the plane myself.

_Good idea, _Alice thought sarcastically.

_Edward, why don't you go fly the plane? _Jasper and I appeared to have the same thoughts.

Alice hissed under her breath as she saw what he was going to suggest before he did.

He rolled his eyes at her and nodded at me. I got up, and walked to the front of the plane. The flight attendants were preparing the cabin for departure. Alice and Jasper flanked me, with their dark clothes, they looked like bodyguards.

I looked the flight attendant that stood outside the door, flashed a smile at her, and said, "I need a word with the pilot." she nodded weakly, and Jasper pushed her to the back of the plane.

Inside, the pilot was talking on his radio, and saw me come in, and stopped. He put the speaker down, and looked at my eyes.

I hadn't hunted in a while, so they were black. I glared at him. He looked frightened.

"I need to get somewhere, sorry!" I landed a punch to his head. He passed out, so I threw him out of the plane.

I spoke over the intercom, "We will now depart. Have a nice flight!"

I sped the plane down the runway, then started gaining altitude like lightening.

_Bella, don't worry, I'm coming to get you. _Her face behind my eyelids flinched from my snarling thoughts.

Alice and Jasper had their places outside the door, while I steered the plane to Italy.

Mercifully, the flight was short. Well, with my flying, anyway.

When we stopped, I hopped out the window and landed with just a light _thud_.

Alice and Jasper followed me, and we raced to Volterra in a Porsche that Alice stole.

**Bella's P.O.V.**

Oh, no. This wasn't going to end well for me. I was going to become a vampire. I only started thinking this as we reached Volterra, the city of the Volturi.

The palace was amazing, but I couldn't stop to marvel at it's beauty. I shut my eyes tightly and suddenly I was on a large bed in a huge, unfamiliar room.

The one that looked like the angel, Jane, had a brother named…Alec, that was it! He strode in as Demitri, the mountain-like one left.

His red eyes fixed on mine. "This is going to hurt. Bad." he whispered, suddenly next to me, pinning my arms over my head. He was almost…amused at the thought.

He leaned closer as if he were about to kiss my neck, but he sank his teeth into it instead.

The pain made me dizzy, as the fire spread through my veins, and I locked my lips together in an attempt of not screaming. I succeeded.

**Edward's P.O.V.**

I couldn't hear anything from the Volturi castle. But I stormed the door anyway.

"Where's Bella?!" I hissed at the human secretary. She looked shocked but pointed at a large door.

I broke the door down in my fury and saw Aro and Marcus and Caius lounging in the room on their thrones.

Aro blinked in surprise, "Ah, Edward Cullen. Have you reconsidered my offer?" he seemed eager.

"No." I growled in frustration. "Where's Bella?!" the fury was replacing all my emotions again.

"Yeah, where's Bella?" Alice appeared beside me, while Jasper followed. I scanned through Aro's thoughts. He seemed to just have gotten back from Forks three days ago.

"And Alice and Jasper, too! This is quite the surprise." Aro clapped his hands happily.

I was in front of him in a second while Jasper calmed the entire guard and the ancients, as well. "I will repeat this one more time. Where. Is. Bella?!"

"Right here," Alec said from behind me. He was leading a newborn. That I recognized as Bella.

She cocked her head to the side and Jasper lost his hold on the room. Jane calculated my proximity with her master. _He's too close, _she thought. When the pain started, I fell to the floor.

Bella launched herself at Jane and knocked her to the ground. It took Demitri and Felix to pry her off of Jane, and even then I could see she was too much to handle. Her eyes were a glowing, bright scarlet. Her hair was closer to black than brunette. Her skin was ablaster. But she wanted to protect me. That was something. She was thrown back to the wall, and it was split down the middle with an earsplitting _crack!_. She hissed in surprise, and then growled when she realized where she was.

And she looked apologetic.

She strode to Aro and bowed formally. "I'm sorry, Master, for attacking Jane, I promise it won't happen again."

What…the…heck?


	2. Chapter 2

I was staggered. No…I was…appalled. My once beating heart was breaking. Bella knelt in front of that…thing? Aro, Aro of the Volturi, one of the worst vampires on the planet. And Bella, so sweet, so innocent, knelt to him?! This was insanity, this was madness! Maybe my eyes were playing tricks on me. But I knew they weren't.

I didn't know if Jane was using her power on me, but I didn't care; I fell to my knees anyway. This was a thousand times her pain.

"Why, Aro?" I sobbed into the stone covering the floor. "Why, of all the ways to kill me, you decide this way?" there was no anger in my voice now. It was lost to me; I was in too much pain. I had just found my Bella, and now I lost her again. "There is nothing worse than this!" I exclaimed.

_Well, this was unexpected…_ Aro thought, bringing me out of my pain. He was now a red dot on my 'I must kill' radar.

"What was unexpected? That I left her for her own good? That it was more painful to leave than to breathe her scent over and over again? Or that I'm a liar?" I seethed. Aro looked taken aback.

_Edward, I didn't know, I'm sorry… _Aro was past speaking; he could barely form those coherent thoughts.

"Sorry? _Sorry_?!" I shouted, making the rest of the vampires---including Bella---flinch. "Look at her now! She's one of us! How on Earth could that be fixed by saying '_I'm sorry_'?!" If I could be crying, I would be. And now there was the pain again, Jane's burning pain, but I couldn't feel it; it was like an annoying fly, buzzing around my head. I could just brush it off.

"Master, he's not being affected," Jane murmured worriedly, her eyes flickering between my face and Bella's.

Bella looked unaffected by this atmosphere, and I saw Marcus staring at her. In the way that would have made her blush were she still human. She was looking at me.

There was a small pucker between her eyebrows, and her eyes were frustrated. I realized, suddenly, that I'd misread the color of her eyes. They weren't all red.

They were a smoky gray with black, red, and dark blue. The strangest eyes in the vampire world.

And the room burst out yelling. The brothers that it wasn't their fault, that they didn't know, the guard as well. But half were defending me, and the other was defending the brothers.

"It was your fault, Edward!"

"No, it was Aro's fault! He went to Forks!"

"Edward kept her human!"

"Aro was doing you a favor, Edward!"

"Yeah, you should be thankful!"

"No, he should feel like he does; brokenhearted!"

"_STOP!!" _Someone yelled, and suddenly the atmosphere was pressing on me, and I couldn't breathe, therefore, I couldn't speak. The rest of them looked like they were choking.

All but Bella. Who looked cold, and emotionless. She stalked forward with elegant grace, right toward me.

**Bella's POV(Same part as above, but from her point of view)**

The burning ended with my heart's last few beats. _Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump._

Then there was silence. I opened my eyes, and everything was clear, sharp, defined, and I could see everything. But couldn't remember anything. Besides my name. Bella Swan…

Where was I? I knew I was a vampire, something I had known about _long _before I became one. But I couldn't remember how… what had happened? I knew about the Volturi, the rulers of the vampire world, and I couldn't remember how I knew about them either.

Then I heard the shouting. I cocked my head to the side. I could just barely make out the words.

"_Where is Bella?!" _Bella…that was me, right? Right. I felt proud that I remembered something about myself.

But wait…why would they be shouting about me? I spun off the bed I was laid on, and I saw a boy with an angelic face and short brown hair.

"Here," he said, holding out a length of black fabric. I unfolded it and saw a deep black cloak. I looked at him with a question in my eyes. He nodded and I slipped on the cloak, fastening the golden clasp that was shaped like a V.

"Come," the boy said, holding his hand out to me, I gratefully took it, wondering where we were going. But still, I was glad someone was with me, and I wasn't alone. Alone…why was that word so painful? I shoved this to the back of my mind, for we were already walking.

Then I remembered something else; they boy's name. Alec. And his sister…Jane! That was it, his sister's name was Jane.

The shouting grew louder.

"_I'll ask you one last time. Where. Is. Bella?!" _the velvet voice demanded. It sounded familiar.

"Right here." Alec said as we came into view. I could feel my eyes wide with wonder as I took in the room.

There were threes thrones up two marble steps. Guards stood around them, and the people on them. _"Aro, Marcus, and Caius. The nighttime patrons of the arts." _the words were flat, like words on a page, but hey, at least I remembered them!

Aro and Marcus were the ones with black hair, and Caius had the snow-white-blonde hair. Marcus's face was rather…dead-looking.

There were three people who stood out in the room of black and gray cloaks. There was one girl, who was extremely short, and had pixie-like black hair. The boys were the opposites. One was tall, and had honey-blonde hair, and several crescent-moon scars on him. The other had bronze hair and a perfect face. A statue of Adonis in the throne room of the Volturi castle.

I was very calm, not wondering why they were there, just…calm. And then the bronze-haired one was on the ground, thrashing around in pain. I saw the source of his agony. It was Jane. She was smiling evilly at him, like a cat who's put their paw on the canary.

It was rather disturbing, to see an immortal incapacitated like that, so I decided to stop her.

I launched myself across the short space between us, and started clawing at her throat. It worked, the boy stopped thrashing, so I let Demitri and Felix pull me off Jane.

Then I remembered. Aro. He was looking on at me with both a disapproved and amused look on his face at the same time. I sprinted over to him and knelt like I was supposed to.

I quickly apologized and promised it wouldn't happen again.

"Why, Aro?" the boy sobbed suddenly into the floor. "Why, of all the ways to kill me, you decide this way?" it was heartbreaking to see him like this. It was _very _sad. "There is nothing worse than this!" he yelled.

"What was unexpected? That I left her for her own good? That it was more painful to leave than to breathe her scent over and over again? Or that I'm a liar?" he shouted, enraged now. His gift was like Aro's, I decided, why else would he be yelling things that nobody said?

"Sorry? _Sorry_?!" the boy screeched, answering another of Aro's thoughts. There was so much pain in his voice that it made me flinch. "Look at her now! She's one of us! How on Earth could that be fixed by saying '_I'm sorry_'?!"

And the room exploded with yelling. The words were so jumbled, I didn't even try to figure out what people were saying.

But I wanted it to stop. So that's what I yelled. And the room was suddenly quiet.

I looked towards the boy, and walked toward him, wanting answers.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N, Sorry I haven't updated yet; school is insane! Homework, I think, should be outlawed. And I've been practicing my singing, I had to; I was accepted to the C.C.S Honor Choir, and this week, I have rehearsal from Thursday until Friday, so I might not update for a while. I will tomorrow, though, don't worry!**

**Bella's P.O.V**

I wanted answers, the boy with the bronze hair had them. I felt a sudden surge of power in my fingertips, and it needed to be released. So I did what came naturally. I walked forward, palms out, and pressed them to the boy's cheeks. It was like watching a slide show.

I saw several memories. But the most recent were the clearest. He had raced to someone from the Volturi. I saw the girl's face from his memories. She looked a lot like me. But where her hair was to her waist, mine was to the back of my knees. And where here eyes were chocolate-brown, mine were…red, black, and purple. Dotted with silver and ice-blue. And she was human, and I was not. And I certainly didn't know the boy or his companions.

The urge to use the power in my hands was gone, so I stepped backwards, toward my masters. I faced them after the boy stared at the short, pixie-like girl for a moment.

"Who is this, and who are his friends?" I asked, gesturing to the them.

Marcus's face was strangely smug. Like he expected this to happen…but he was my master, so I didn't question it.

"Do you not remember any of your human life?" Caius asked, and when I shook my head, he grinned wickedly.

"He's just an intruder, my dear," Aro said, placing a feather-light hand on my shoulder.

I looked back at the intruders and slid a step away from them; I don't fancy intruders of any kind.

"Don't fret, dear Bella, the guard shall take care of him for you," Aro's stone face was kind, but I could see concern for me in his eyes.

And then I heard what he was saying. He was going to kill the boy and his friends. I couldn't let that happen.

"No, Aro." I said confidently, standing my ground.

"What was that, my dear?" Aro said, eyes wide.

"I said no." I repeated.

"But they are intruders! They threaten our very existence!" Caius exclaimed, furious.

I immediately took a defensive position in front of the three 'intruders', spreading my arms out in front of them, feet firmly planted on the ground. And then Demitri started towards me. I spread my arms out in front of myself and thought, _I need some kind of shield!_

I got my wish. An icy-purple shield, expanding the length of the whole room, spread from my finger tips. It looked paper-thin, but I could tell it was harder than vampire skin, and would rebound anyone who touched it. Which was what happened when Demitri tried to cross it. The moment he touched it, he jerked wildly, like he was electrocuted, and he was thrown to the opposite wall.

"How did you do that, Bella?" Aro asked, astounded, and I could see the hunger for power in his eyes.

I told the truth.

"I thought what I wanted. Like I wanted a shield when Demitri was walking toward us." I said calmly; the tension in the air was gone.

"Try wishing out loud for something else, please?" Aro added when I glared at him.

"I wish Heidi would walk in with some…uhh…three-year-old children." Aro looked at me with the strangest expression. A kind of 'do-you-know-what-you've-gotten-yourself-into-now?' expression.

And with that, Heidi walked in, and like a mother duck, had thirteen little boys and girls trailing her. I didn't thirst for their blood. I thirsted for something deeper, that they didn't need to survive…it was glowing in each and every one of them, bottled up like a gas swirling in a test-tube.

It was silver, and depending on their mood, was a different color with each passing second. It looked…delicious.

I had to have it. And I was gone. Nonexistent. The only thing that kept me sprinting forward like I was, was my thirst for the colors inside them. I leapt the rest of the way, crashing to the floor, taking a young boy with me.

He squirmed and thrashed and screamed against my hold, so I decided to get on with it already. I pressed my open mouth to the back of his neck, sucking out the mouthwatering substance. It was heavenly. It filled my every chasm with irresistible warmth and light.

The child wasn't thrashing against me anymore. What had I taken from him? It surely wasn't blood; there was no opening in his skin. His heart was beating.

I pulled myself up and him at the same time. He just hung there, limp, like a rag doll. On closer inspection of his eyes, I saw his once bright-blue eyes were a dull gray.

I hadn't taken his blood, that much was true. But I had taken something worse. I had taken what gave him his personality. What gave him energy. What gave him free will. I had taken his soul.

**A/N: I'd like to personally thank ****SagaObsessed****, ****ShatteredAndLostInHerOwnWorld****, and ****ImAnInspiredFan****. Thank you for your Amazing reviews! It's you guys who inspire me to write!**


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: Here's Chapter Four! Enjoy people of the Internet! **

**Bella's P.O.V**

I stared in horror at the boy's lifeless eyes. Dropping him, I turned and saw the brothers with three kinds of expressions. Aro: amused and impressed. Caius: satisfied and impressed and smug. Marcus: dead and impressed. I'd seen more life in a morgue.

I heard a choking noise, and saw the boy and his friends, stunned (or was it horrified?) in to silence. Their golden eyes were wide with disapproval and…what was that other emotion? The pixie-like one had one hand outstretched as if she was going to help me somehow.

_I want to freeze time now! _I yelled in my head. And it happened. Time froze and I saw my chance. I ran up to the room that I woke up in. The only place I felt…safe. Unfreezing time, I slammed the door, locked it, and sobbed harder than I ever had.

Hearing gasps from the room when they could sense time again, someone knocked on the door.

"Bella?" someone asked from outside. "Are you alright?"

"No," I cried, still sobbing. "Nothing is alright!"

"Will you talk to me, Bella?" the voice asked, pleading.

I decided not to. But I walked to the door and opened it, to see the bronze-haired angel.

**Marcus's P.O.V (here you go, ****ImAnInspiredFan****!) **

When I first saw her I thought she was an angel. Innocent and gorgeous, standing there like she would sprout wings any moment. Her dark, heavy hair was like velvet, her chocolate eyes heart-melting. Her face was almost as pale as mine, and looked just as emotionless. It looked smooth, translucent, and not a blemish in sight. Her full lips were slightly out of balance. She would be even more beautiful when she was immortal, were she to accept.

And on the plane ride back home, I let Aro see my thoughts. She was my soul mate, not Didyme. There was a golden line connecting her and I. Aro was rather amused, and he was…happy. That I found someone that I loved. That was alive. And it made me alive, too. And surely Bella would love me back, Aro said when I started worrying about it.

And then Alec changed her. And Edward, the fool that left her for dead, came to try and reclaim her. But she wouldn't remember him, or his family, or her human life. Because there was so much heartbreak there.

When Bella came in to view, I could feel my dead heart warming. She was the incarnation of pure beauty. Even more so than Heidi. Or Edward's sister, Rosalie. Absolutely radiant. Perfection. But her eyes were peculiar. Ringed in red, black, and blue. Dotted with silver and gold.

Edward still had a bond to Bella, but hers to him was completely gone. No, she didn't remember him.

And now, after we've discovered her abilities, Edward tried to explain to her what had happened in her human life. I could hear the conversation.

"_Bella, I left because I loved you! I lied to you in the forest! I'm sorry!" _Edward yelled, falling to his knees. Bella didn't do anything.

"_If you really loved me, you wouldn't have had the strength to leave! And if you loved me, you won't keep bothering me, get out of my castle and away from my Marcus!" _Bella's voice was irritated---wait! She just called me 'My Marcus'. She loved me back. I breathed a sigh of relief.

"_Bu-but, Bella!" _Edward cried, grabbing her wrists as she tried to look away.

He. Touched. Her. Without her permission, he laid a hand on the queen of Volterra.

"Demitri, Felix!" I hissed, enraged. They appeared at my side instantly, looking shocked I had conveyed an emotion.

"Yes, Master." they bowed and looked at me intently.

"Get that Cullen boy and his friends out of here." I snarled, sitting back in my throne. Bella's wishes were my command. She didn't want him harmed, but I would throw him out. That wasn't harming anyone, at least.

They nodded and disappeared and dragged Edward out of the hallway, Bella following after. When Demitri and Felix pushed Edward into the elevator, Bella looked him dead in the eye.

"Get out of my life," she said frostily, "and stay out!" she called as the doors were about to close.

From what I saw of Edward's expression, he wasn't pleased with how his mission to save her turned out. His face was pained as the doors closed.

Bella turned back to me and ran right into my arms. I was shocked for a moment, but then I hugged her back those lovely eyes of hers were pained, like mine were when I didn't get my fill of blood. Maybe she needed more souls. After all, not all vampires were out for blood.

"You look thirsty," she said, stroking the shadows under my eyes. My rock-hard skin tingled at her touch. If I could, I would replay that in my mind the whole day. It felt so warm, like I had never felt since my change.

"You look the same." I said, seeing the usual smoky-gray in her eyes turn even darker. She looked pained. Empty, somehow.

And then I figured it out. She was taking people's souls to replace her own. That had been so damaged when Edward left her, and who knows how many souls she would have to take before her own was in tact. I would just take it slow. Get her to trust me. Make her feel safe and loved. If I had to die trying, I would. The guard and my brothers would help, too.

_Lest they feel my wrath. _I quoted to myself.


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Sorry this is a couple days late! But I got caught up in the C.C.S Honor Choir thing! Today was the performance, I swear I've never been so nervous in my whole life! It was nerve-wracking! I'm babbling. Again, one hundred apologies to all about the lateness! --Mary

Marcus's P.O.V

**My Bella. I couldn't keep thinking that. **_**My**_** Bella. Over and over and over. I couldn't get it out of my head. **

**After Bella had gone to clean up and change, I told my brothers my plan. They were to think of her as a sister; she was going to eventually be my mate. My soul mate. She was so much more than Didyme was. It didn't even hurt to think of her name. **

**I smiled slightly as Demitri put a new throne next to mine, in between Aro and I. We all knew that Bella was one hundred times more powerful than Sulpicia and Athenodora, so Bella go to sit with us, in the throne room. **

**The throne itself was beautiful. Wood and marble elegantly swirled together, encrusted with sapphires and rubies with a pattern of a dragon embossed in gold leaf running up the side. The seat was red velvet and black plush. **

**I walked around it and saw the name **_**'Isabella Volturi' **_**carved into the side. I stroked the swirling calligraphy and smiled. **

"**It has been a long time," Aro said, appearing suddenly and putting his hand on my shoulder, "since I have seen you smile." his face looked optimistic. **

**Upstairs in the tower, I heard Athenodora playing her harp. Everything was changing…because I was happier. It had been a long time since Athenodora had even looked at her harp. She and Didyme had been like sisters. And Didyme's death had come as a shock for her. Especially since Aro, her brother in law, had killed her, just for his power. But in time, she had forgiven him. **

**The beautiful music seemed to announce Bella's arrival into the room. She had changed into something…more suited for someone who lives in a castle. Her hair was up in an elegant crown on top of her head, curled instead of wavy, and some of the ringlets spilled down her neck, making it seem elongated even farther. Her dress was black, with red rose embroidery licking up the sides, where it was slit up to her thigh. The neckline dipped low to show the golden V that rested just above her bust line. Her dress matched her eyes perfectly. She was so beautiful it made my dead heart pang in longing. **

**For her soul. And what a beautiful soul it was. Her face was rather cold, until she saw me. Then it brightened. Her smile made me smile. **

"**Marcus!" she called happily, walking---hips swaying---toward me. She locked her arms around my neck, so I spun her around. We had only known each other that day, and she already trusted me that fully. I put her down and kissed her cheek. Her skin was silky smooth and she looked like she would be blushing if she could. She gave me a small smile.**

**I lifted the rose I'd been hiding underneath my cloak and tucked it behind her ear. **

"**To match your dress." I explained, wondering if it was her sense of style or if Heidi had gotten to her. If it was Heidi, I would make sure they were together as much as possible; Bella looked so confident and proud of herself. **

**Heidi walked in the room and looked smug when she saw Bella's clothes. Yes, she definitely had something to do with Bella's dress.**

**I breathed a sigh of relief as Bella walked over to Heidi and threw and arm around her shoulders. Heidi looked mildly surprised at Bella's actions, but smiled in happiness. Bella was glowing with pride. Like she knew this was her family. And it was. We had adopted her into the family just as surely as she had adopted us. She was a bit outgoing, a bit shy, and just a little bit cold. Oh, how I loved her. **

**She walked back over to me and I turned her around and clasped my hands loosely around her abdomen. I sneaked a peak at her expression. She looked content, almost…happy, there in my arms. She looked more peaceful than I'd ever seen her. It was delightful seeing her pale face, relaxed, warm…theoretically, of course. But at least not emotionally cold. Her soul was going to come back one day. I would make sure of it. **

**I stroked her hair and she made a noise similar to purring in the back of her throat. Nice, calm. I noticed everyone had frozen in whatever they were doing. Aro had frozen in reading his book on vampires, from the human perspective. Caius had frozen in scowling at the room. Jane and Alec, who had been muttering to each other in the corner now looked Bella's and my way and stared, a trifle shocked. **

**I gave them a warning look and they continued their various activities. Bella giggled slightly. The sound of her musical laugh---even more so than if she were a human---warmed my heart. Her slight giggle made her face light up, and her hand flew to her mouth to stop the peals of bells pouring out. I smiled the widest I'd had for a long time, since Didyme died. I'd thought I'd forgotten how to smile like that. **

**But it was easy. My lips stretched over my teeth and the corners of my mouth turned up. My wide grin made Aro's face fill with joy. And hope. **

**Bella's expression looked curious as she played with a strand of my long black hair. Her eyes snapped up to my face at the slight noise of my breath coming out in a sigh. Her hands felt so good, there in my hair.**

**When she saw my smile, she asked, "What?" in that clear, alto voice of hers. It wasn't that it was low, it was…pleasant. It made me want to sit and listen to her all day. **

"**Oh, it's just that…" I trailed off as I looked into her gaze. It was gentle, and at the same time, it was piercing, filled with silent questions. Which, I bet, if she had her way, nobody would ever hear. **

**And the rings, made with the colors no vampire had ever had, enhanced. That effect. The crimson in them wasn't crimson at all, it was a vivid, undiluted scarlet. The blue made her emotions shine dully, but the black counteracted it, and suddenly, they weren't that color. It was alternating black stripes and then red. The whites of them were the smoky gray that I had seen earlier. She needed to eat. **

"**Bella," I said, snapping her out of her trance. She looked up at me with a dazed expression, like she had been thinking about something else. **

"**Yes, Marcus?" she asked in a soft tone, eyes flickering to the shadows like she had had a nightmare while daydreaming. I wondered what it was about.**

"**Do you need to eat?" I looked at her eyes again. The gray was starting to go black. Soon her eyes would be nothing but pupil. Then the lights would hurt her pretty little eyes. **

**She looked surprised, like she had just realized it. And she grasped at her sides, as if she were in pain. **

"**Heidi!" I yelled, clutching Bella to my chest. I think I knew what was happening. The loss of her soul was causing her physical pain. **

"**Yes, Marcus?!" Heidi called anxiously, putting the game of chess---which, by the way, she was beating Alec at---down, standing up so quickly she knocked the board over, and flashing over to us. Her eyes went wide as she saw Bella, who was doubled over in pain, moaning dizzily. **

"**Well, don't just stand there," I snarled at Heidi, "get her a human!" **

**Heidi nodded and sprinted out the door. I knew who she was getting. Gianna. We weren't going to change her anyway. And Heidi knew that. So she was getting Bella an easy meal. **

"**What's going on?" Gianna asked, trailing Heidi as she sprinted in the room. She looked out of breath as she took in Bella, "And who's this?" but her next words were cut off. **

**Bella had pounced on her and pressed her mouth to the back of Gianna's neck. Gianna went limp and her eyes went glossy and blank. When Bella lifted her head, her mouth was dripping with some silvery substance.**

**I caught it before even a drop hit the floor. Lifting the finger I had caught it with to my mouth, I flicked my tongue out and tasted it. It mixed with my venom on the way down my throat. **

**It tasted like liquid happiness. But I was distracted by a sucking sound. My head snapped up. Bella had her teeth sunk into Gianna's neck. She was sucking her blood. **

**Once Gianna was drained, Demitri came and took the body away. Bella's mouth looked exquisite. Silver was dripping from the right corner of her mouth, and red from the other. **

"**What's happening to me?!" Bella asked in panic before looking, terrified of herself, at me. **

**Aro came to my rescue as I stood there, speechless, unable to get the sight of Bella as she sprung at Gianna out of my head. She had looked so graceful, so powerful, like an arrow arching from a bow, she had to be someone else. **

"**Bella, my dear," Aro said, putting his arm around Bella's quivering frame. She was shaking with suppressed sobs. "Everything is fine, I assure you. And I have my theories of why you have to take people's souls and their blood. All vampires need blood to survive, but you take souls because…" Aro paused, pondering how to tell her without revealing her human past. "because there was some kind of heartbreak in your past." **

**But Bella didn't look consoled. She looked just as heartbroken as she did before we found her. And that was rather scary. **

**She looked so broken. And vulnerable. And rather…defeated. Like she was going to give up any second. She was shattered. **

**She was going to be put back together, though, I vowed to myself. (I thought about stopping here, but I thought you deserved a little bit of Bella's thoughts in this chapter.)**

**Bella's P.O.V**

Everything was suddenly empty again. I was lacking that sweet substance that kept the human's personality…a personality, really.

And the hole in my chest was there again. It was gaping, and throbbing, and felt like I was going to cave in again.

I was vaguely aware of shouting. Marcus…My Marcus. He was shouting. If nothing else mattered, he did, didn't he? Right. And then someone else. Heidi. My sister. And then…a weak, rough voice. A human. Who had the beautiful swirling substance inside her. I launched myself across the short space to her, and pressed my mouth against her neck.

When I raised my head, Marcus wiped some of her soul off my mouth. It's liquid form was silvery and dripped quickly. And so fast I almost didn't see it, Marcus lifted his finger to his mouth and tasted it. His eyes lit up with awe and wonder at the delectable concoction.

But there was something else the human had that I wanted. It pulsed through her veins and gave her life. It was her blood. And before I knew it, I was drinking it from the source.

When I asked everyone---mostly Marcus---what was happening to me, Aro tried to calm me down. But he didn't have the effect the honey-blonde boy had.

I fell, broke down sobbing. But before I could hit the floor, Marcus caught me in his strong arms. I cried into his chest. I wished I could cry in this body. And suddenly, I could. Tears of venom streamed down my face, and soaked into my clothes and Marcus's. He looked down in surprise, but didn't question why I was crying, and stroked my hair and held me and murmured sweet nothings in my ears. Soothing nonsense, no doubt, but it worked. I calmed down faster than if I had been on my own.

Looking up at him, venom still blurring my vision, he was staring at me intently. And then, slowly, and precisely, he placed a gentle kiss on my lips. It was short, and undeniably sweet. His lips were soft, and tasted of both a soul, blood, and I could almost taste his sweet scent in the back of my throat.

And that, was when I decided that I loved Marcus Volturi.

**A/N: Sorry the chapter took so long, again. But I had the Honor Choir thing and everything going on this weekend. But this was a lot longer than I intended. **

**I've been very satisfied with the reviews I've gotten so far. I've only got one of the pointless reviews. Someone said "I hate it when people write stories of people loosing their memories when they change for no reason." but, buddy, I have some news for you. Bella lost her memory because she was changed when her soul was still healing. Is that reason enough for you? You know who you are. I'm only going to say this once while I'm writing this story…I DO NOT APPRICIATE FLAMES! I hate people who say 'oh I hate that!' or, 'that was completely pointless!' well, you're entitled to your opinion, but when it comes to my stories, if you don't give me a reason why, or what you want me to change, then please, please, **please**, **_**keep your opinions to yourself!**_


	6. Chapter 6

A/N: Happy Sunday! Oooh, I love Sundays! Nice and lazy! Okay, here's Bella's POV.

Bella's P.O.V

**When I was finished crying (and kissing Marcus) he asked me if I wanted to talk to him. I nodded my 'yes', unable to trust my voice. He stood and offered me his hand. I grasped it and let him pull me up. **

**He led me to what I believe were his private quarters. It looked as old as the rest of the castle. But elegant, classy. He led me through another set of double doors into a huge library. There were books everywhere. When we came to a table that had no books on it, Marcus pulled out a chair for me. I sat in it and crossed my ankles. **

**Marcus, sitting down opposite from me, pulled his black hair over his shoulders and folded his hands under his chin, looking at me intently. When I caught him staring at me, he looked rather pleased. Then a dull human memory came back, something I'd heard a long time ago. **_**'When he catches you looking at him, remember, **__**he was looking back**__**' **_**I guess it was the same for boys. **

**I smiled as he looked down, embarrassed. I reached across the table and took on of his hands in both of mine. He froze and looked at our conjoined hands. A lighting of hope spread across his face. **

**His joy and hope made me happy. It was good seeing him lighthearted. **

**He mock-cleared his throat but didn't take his hand from mine. **

"**Where to begin?" he asked, almost to himself.**

**Marcus's P.O.V**

"Where to begin?" I asked, still reeling from the kiss I'd given her. And then she'd held my hand.

She looked up at me, confused, and shrugged and stroked my palm. It was an electric shock that seared through my veins.

I fought to keep my breathing even. I didn't want to tip her off. I tried to form coherent words.

"Bella," I said, and her attention snapped to my face. "I have something to tell you." she nodded her head for me to continue. "I'm your soul mate." I murmured softly to her. She looked mildly surprised but it was forced.

"I guess I should've known." Bella finally said, calmly and she stared into my eyes.

What did that mean? 'She should have known?' what the heck did that mean? Did she love me back?

"What does that mean?" I asked more to myself than her.

Bella smiled, as much of a smile as she could manage, and said, "It means that I felt a pull to you the first time I saw you. And when you kissed me just now, it got even stronger." she admitted with a wider smile.

I had no thoughts. Just happiness. I was glowing with it. Bella strode over to me, and placed a precise kiss on my lips. I tingled from her touch. She felt so warm, so soft. She was my world, my everything. The whole universe revolved around Bella. Bella, Bella, Bella. She was supposed to be on my mind every day. Every second. She was the goddess of the night.

Suddenly, the whole castle was filled with growling. But it wasn't a vampire growling. It was several large wolves.

And they were headed right to Bella and I.

I pushed a very surprised Bella behind me just as sixteen large---unusually large---wolves burst through the double doors of my study.

I hissed I surprise at their numbers. I was even more surprised when I caught their scent. I thought Caius had hunted all the werewolves in existence!

When Bella caught sight of the reddish-brown one, she pushed me behind her.

I looked at her curiously.

"These wolves can kill vampires." she muttered under her breath. "Five of them handled a vampire in my human life. I don't know how, but it seems significant." she remembered her human life? Bits and pieces? Or the whole thing? Did she remember Edward?

"Stay back," Bella hissed at the wolves. An inky-black colored one stepped forward. It growled out an intelligible steam of words at her. Bella muttered something to herself. I think she wished she could understand it. And her eyes widened in recognition. "Sam? Sam Uley?" she asked in surprise.

The reddish-brown wolf strode forward. Bella stroked its fur as it looked at her.

"No, they didn't take me against my will, Sam!" Bella shouted suddenly, appalled.

"No, no of course they didn't!" Bella looked at me. "You didn't, did you? she willed me to say no with her eyes.

"With out a doubt, I can honestly say we didn't force Bella to come with us." I said truthfully. I was only half-lying. She chose between coming with us and death.

"See? Sam, your business is finished here." Bella now had an all-business scowl on her face. The werewolves reluctantly walked out of the room, and Bella looked back at me. "That was rather scary." she said, sinking to the floor. I would have those werewolves' heads. They made my Bella frightened.

I crouched on my knees and rubbed circles in her back. She seemed to calm at my touch. I liked that. That I could make her feel safe.

She looked up at me and smiled slightly. When I heard someone knocking on the door, I was startled out of my thoughts. It was odd that I didn't hear them coming. I shrugged it off as Bella started to speak.

"Heidi, come in!" Bella called, looking at the door. And sure enough, Heidi waltzed into the room, looking around, and sighing. I knew what she was thinking. _'I haven't been in here in so long. It hasn't changed.'_

When she saw the slight smile on my face her eyes brightened.

"Oh, and Heidi, thank you." Bella murmured, pulling Heidi into a hug. Heidi, with one arm still around Bella, turned to me.

"Marcus, Aro and Caius have requested your presence in Aro's study." She said, glancing around my study once again. I nodded and kissed Bella once more on the cheek and walked from the room.

**Bella's P.O.V**

I watched Marcus glide out of the room. It was nerve-wracking, the fact that I didn't know if he was going to be okay. And that I couldn't go with him. Heidi patted my head comfortingly. I stared up at her. How on earth could she be so at ease? So calm? Right…she didn't have a soul mate.

And I suddenly felt sympathy for her. She didn't have someone who she knew she could count on. She didn't have someone who would love her no matter what. Even if she were dead.

I breathed a sigh of relief as I thought of Marcus. He would be back soon. There was an entire guard to protect him and Aro and Caius. They would be fine. The werewolves were gone. Everything was fine…I kept repeating this over and over and over again in my head, trying to calm myself.

Trying not to give in to my animal side, which was protesting every rational option I had.

Every thought I had. The good sense within me was telling me to keep my mouth shut, and stay where I was, not go looking for Marcus. But the animal was howling in rage and thrashing with the sense. It was making me dizzy. And then everything was empty again.

I dropped to the floor, Heidi barely caught me before I hit the marble. From there, her arms lowered me gently down, for which I was grateful; the spinning in my head was blurring my vision.

"Bella, Bella?" Heidi called from what seemed very far away. I needed a soul. Fast. I looked up at Heidi and willed her to understand with my eyes, and she did. She sprinted out of the room, calling over her shoulder, "I'll be right back, hang on!" and then a steam of curses under her breath.

A heart beat made me regain focus what seemed like hours later. Heidi's hair was messed up, her clothes were ruffled, and her crimson eyes were scared and desperate. I could see the human in her arms, not dead, for which I was thankful. I took her from Heidi and took away her soul. The human dropped, limp to the ground, but I caught her with my arms and my teeth_. The poor little girl_, I thought to myself as I sucked out all her blood, and her heart stopped.

And just then, Marcus strode into the room, and suddenly, I was whole again.


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: I'd like to thank _EmmetCullen'sGurl1998_! You gave me my first review ever! And you, of course, _ImAnInspiredFan_! You've made my Review Hall of Fame! You reviewed every chapter so far! You're awesome! --Mary

Marcus's P.O.V

"**We just don't know what's happening here!" Caius fumed, feeling awful that he didn't know what was going on. **

"**She'd obviously been through trauma when she was changed, and she needs to replace her soul!" Aro looked at me when I said this. He was shocked, and then there was recognition on his face. He pulled a big book off a shelf in the room. **

**Pulling it open to one specific bookmarked page, he mouthed the words to himself. Then he jabbed his finger to a selected passage. It said:**

'_**Humans changed into vampires while experiencing a certain emotion will portray that same emotion during the vampire's life span. It can only be tamed, or changed, by their soul mate. A real mate can only alter it slightly.' **_

**I wondered vaguely where Aro had gotten the book, then decided I did not care. I could help Bella…**

**And that track of thought brought me back to how much she had helped me. She had made me smile again. A real smile. Not the smirk that Caius wore, or the power-hungry grin of Aro. And she had put life in me. Something I hadn't had in a long time.**

**Just then I saw Heidi rush past the room's door at the speed of light, quicker than a flash of lightning. It scattered several papers. Before she'd flew past, I'd caught a glimpse of her expression. Absolutely terrified. With concern mixed in, but still scared. **

**And the only time I had seen her like that was…today. When Bella had collapsed. Oh, no. No, no, no, no! **

"**No," I whispered, eyes still trained on the door. She could go insane. She could destroy herself. With only a wish. With one word. She could kill me, too. But that wasn't what brought the defiant word of 'no' to my lips. It was fear for her.**

**And then Heidi raced past again. Holding a little girl, who was unconscious. Aro and Caius were watching me with confused expressions.**

"**Bella's in trouble." I said before ghosting out the door. My cloak flew off me and my robes billowed in the wind I created. Our new secretary flattened herself against the wall and snapped her head toward the hall I was racing down. But only one thing was on my mind. **_**Bella**_**. **_**Bella**_**. **_**Bella.**_

I slipped in the doorway, trying to contain myself as I saw Bella---the object of my focus---draining the last bits of life from the little girl I'd seen Heidi carrying. Bella was okay.

Heidi looked over at me as I breathed a sigh of relief and scooped my Bella up in my arms. I buried my face in her dark wavy hair. It smelt like strawberries. Intoxicating.

I felt someone petting my head. Raising only my eyes, so as not to disturb the person stroking me, (it felt really good) I saw Bella looking at me with an intent expression.

Her ruby eyes bore into mine, full of adoration and calmness. It eased my frantic mind.

I slowly put her down, keeping one arm around her waist in case she collapsed again. I heard the faint sounds of my brothers rushing towards us. I pulled my Bella slightly closer to me, tensing to protect her.

As soon as they appeared in the doorway, I knew I had nothing to worry about. Aro's expression held only concern for Bella, Caius was much the same.

"What's wrong?" Caius asked.

At the same time, Aro yelled, "What's wrong with Bella?" Athenodora and Sulpicia raced into the castle from the garden. They led their husbands into the room by their arms.

Athenodora put one arm around Bella's shoulders and murmured softly in her ear, "Mio figilo, `e qualcosa di sbagliato?" **(translation: My child, is something wrong?) **I didn't think Bella would understand any of that at all, but she answered her in fluent Italian.

"No, niente `e sbagliato; io ho appena mangiato recentemente, che `e tutto," **(Translation: No, nothing is wrong now; I've just eaten recently, that's all.)** Bella said, in a perfect accent. I could understand her fully.

Athenodora smiled, kissed Bella on her cheek, and moved away so Sulpicia could introduce them.

"Sono I nostri nomi Sulpicia," she pointed to herself, "e Athenodora," she pointed to Caius's wife who gave a small wave, "ma intendiamo essere tua sorelle abbastanza presto," **(Translation: Our names are Sulpicia and Athenodora, but we're going to be your sisters soon enough.) **She then smiled and stepped back.

"I didn't know you knew Italian, Bella." I said, staring at her in wonder. This girl could do anything!

In a good way. Aro walked over to me, and touched my palm, reading my thoughts. He chuckled, sensing my wonder.

I decided Bella had had enough for one day, what she needed now was to relax.

"Heidi," I said quietly, she was looking at Bella with worry on her face. I worried for a moment myself. Was she seeing something I wasn't? No, that couldn't be. Heidi's face snapped up to look at me. "Will you draw Bella warm bath?" I asked politely. Heidi nodded and sprinted off to do as I asked. Apparently my brothers and their wives saw it as it being time for Bella to go as well.

"Goodnight, mia sorella." **(Translation: Goodnight, my sister.) **Athenodora said, patting Bella's cheek.

"Dormire bene, Bella**." (Translation: Rest well, Bella.)** Sulpicia said Bella's name as she waved and walked out the door with Aro and Caius and Athenodora following her.

I pulled Bella to my bathroom and saw that Heidi had put scented candles everywhere, along with bubbles in the bathtub. I almost laughed at her actions.

Bella looked uncertain of herself. She looked up at me with a confused expression. I murmured Italian in her ear.

"André savant, Bella, god ere ill bingo. Quindío site finite, sari knelled mien camera." **(Translation: Go ahead, Bella, enjoy your bath. When you're finished, I'll be in my chambers.) **At my words, her elegant face relaxed, and I walked out of the room the moment she unclasped her cloak.

**A/N: sorry about the major lateness. But hey, I put some Italian in there for you! By the way, Athenodora and Sulpicia only speak Italian in my story, just a heads up! And don't worry, I'll put translations in everywhere! Have a nice day! Till next time, ---Mary**


	8. Chapter 8

**A/N: Here's the next chapter, enjoy my friends! ---Mary **

Bella's P.O.V

I unclasped my cloak just as Marcus slipped out of the door. I smiled at the scents of the many candles that were placed around the room.

Unzipping my dress, I looked around. Ah, Heidi…I thought, scolding her. She went to so much trouble for me! I breathed in the aromas. They calmed my nerves. I sat gracefully in the large claw foot bathtub. I let my head roll back and made my mind go free.

I wondered what that Cullen boy was doing. And his friends. And I wondered if what he said was true. I zoned back into the conversation in which he tried to convince me that what he said was true.

_***_

"_Bella." Someone said from behind me. _

_I looked back and saw that intruder boy. He was walking after me. _

"_Hello," I cautiously murmured, stepping away from him. _

"_Bella, you need to know why you're here," he said, running a hand through his unusual hair. Without stopping to allow me to protest, he continued, "You came from a small town in the Olympic Rainforest called Forks." Forks? What kind of a town was named after silverware? "But your mother divorced your father and she took you with her when you were just a few months old. You came back to stay when you were seventeen, and you met me and my family and fell in love with me." I fell in love with him? "You figured it out that we were vampires, and then a hunting vampire named James," James? Of the American Nomads? And how on earth could I have known of vampires before I was changed? That was illegal! "who started hunting you, and caught you, but I rescued you before you died." no, no that wasn't possible. Was it? "And on your eighteenth birthday, you got a paper cut when you tried to open a present, and my brother, Jasper, tried to attack you. But I saved you from that, too! And I left you, for your own good!" He left me? Was that why I felt barely any emotion? Was that why I needed to take souls? _

_I looked down the hall, to see if anyone was coming to my rescue this time. Nope. _

_I glanced back at the intruder, who was staring at me with an intent expression. His hands twitched toward me, like he was gong to grab me and make a run for it._

"_Bella, I lied to you in the forest, I'm sorry!" he shouted, and, to my extreme surprise, he fell to his knees, with his head in his hands. _

"_If you really loved me, you wouldn't have had the strength to leave! And if you loved me, you won't keep bothering me, get out of my castle and away from my Marcus!" I couldn't believe I'd just said that. _

"_Bu-but, Bella!" he yelled, snatching my wrists. And, miraculously, Demitri and Felix came rushing down the corridor, snagging the intruder by the shoulders. I was suddenly furious at him. He had barged into my home, accused my Marcus, and thought he was leaving mentally unscarred. I didn't think so. _

_I stalked after them, and when the elevator doors were about to close, I bent close to the boy's face, and said to him, "Get out of my life, and stay out!" I'd never felt so good._

_* * *_

Well, no. It couldn't be true. What he said couldn't be true. But I had heard of James's death. And for some reason, when I thought that, I lifted my hand to stroke my wrist. When I looked down, through the bubbles, there was nothing there. I heard someone sigh loudly from the bedroom. And then I realized I had been pondering the past for over an hour. The water was cold. Not that it bothered me, but still…

I stepped out of the bathtub and drained it, and dried off myself. Then I was suddenly nervous. What was I supposed to wear? Not the dress I had taken off, obviously. And not the towel I had wrapped around myself now…then I saw the robe hanging on the bathroom door.

It was silk, floor-length, and black. I shrugged and stepped into it, as well as the small, black velvet slippers that sat on the floor. I tied the bow around my waist and stepped out to meet my Marcus.

Marcus's P.O.V

Bella had been in the bathroom for more than an hour. Was she okay? Should I assist her with anything? No, no Marcus, leaver her to her ponderings! I yelled at myself. I sighed. I was truly a conundrum. I even argued with myself! Bella obviously heard me sigh, for she drained the bathtub.

I smiled slightly. She was probably as deep in thought as I was. I straightened up as I heard the door open. But what I saw made me freeze even more than I had been.

Bella was wearing nothing besides the robe that Heidi had hung on the back of the door, and the slippers that had sat under the threshold. Her dark hair was damp and tousled, uncombed, and hung around her face and down her shoulders, leaving droplets of water where it touched the fabric. She took my breath away.

I couldn't help it. I walked up to her and kissed her. She stood, frozen for a moment, and then moved her lips softly against mine. It was pleasant, and sweet, but much too short for my liking. It was as if her lips had been sculpted to fit mine.

But, sadly, she broke apart from me and took my hand, leading me to the bed. She lay down and motioned for me to lay beside her. When I did, she turned towards me, so I turned towards her, and she buried her face in my chest. Then I realized I'd never picked my cloak up from the floor in the hallway…oh who cares? I was with my Bella. _My _Bella.

"Marcus?" Bella asked suddenly, pulling me out of my thoughts. She still had her face in my chest.

"Yes, angel?" I asked, curious.

"Do you think that if I wanted to, I could wish to sleep?" she questioned me. And I knew the answer already. I pretended to ponder it for a fraction of a second.

"Of course, potete fare qualunque cosa si desidera, mia dolce Bella." **(translation: you can do whatever you want, my sweet Bella) **and it was true.

"Then I wish I'm able to sleep." she murmured. "I'm going to spread my shield over you so when I sleep, you can, too." I was rather surprised. She could do that? Well, it was Bella, and, according to me, she could do anything.

I felt something like…transparent elastic pass over me, and I was suddenly almost…tired? It was strange, it was a reaction I hadn't felt in a while. My eyelids felt heavy, but I didn't want to sleep. I'd rather watch my Bella sleep. And then her shield passed back over me.

Her breathing was deep, her face relaxed in unconsciousness. Her lips were slightly parted, and before long, I saw them move.

"Marcus," she mumbled. I looked down at her in surprise. She had spoken my name so clearly, and yet she wasn't awake. She was dreaming. I listened to her. "Marcus. I love you…" she trailed off, and when I tried to pull away slightly so I could hear her better, she pulled herself closer. At least she knew what was hers.

"Sogno ora, mia cara, felice, dolci sogno, ci risentiremo qui quando attivano e verrà ti amo ancor più quando è andato a dormire. Si è sempre la cosa più importante per me, e sei il vampiro migliore del mondo, non importa cosa si dica**."(Translation: Dream now, my darling, happy, sweet dreams, I'll be here when you wake, and I'll love you even more than when you went to sleep. You're the most important thing to me ever, and you're the best vampire in the world, no matter what anyone says.)** I murmured in her ear. She smiled and shifted slightly in her sleep and she looked the most blissful I'd ever seen her. Yes, watching her sleep was the better option.

I listened and watched my Bella sleep for hours until the sun rose. I hadn't thought anything could've been more beautiful than Bella. But then I saw…Bella in the sunlight.

**A/N: I loved the part I had written for Marcus back there. That was so romantic and loving, I was crying while I was writing it! I know, right?…anyway, tell me what you thought! It was nice when I read over it, but I don't think it was up to my standards, but I need your reviews. Though, I am very impressed with how many reviews I've gotten ****J, I need some more, and I need your ideas. And I need you to choose. **

**A: Bella finds out that Marcus lied to her.**

**B: Bella gets pregnant, like in Breaking Dawn, but she hates the baby.**

**C: Bella gets pregnant, but Edward kills the baby once it's born, giving her another reason to hate him.**

**D: Bella becomes feared and Edward breaks the law…**

**Okay, give me feedback, and please, please, please, give me more ideas, too. **


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: I'm sorry; I didn't really think when I thought of option B in the last chapter, I'd like to sincerely apologize to **_**..cullen**_**. Thank you for telling me you were upset, and I'm sorry again. And I'm sorry about your cousin; I wasn't thinking straight, and I just wanted to come up with some new ideas, and directions in which the story could go. Anyway, the votes are in, and I have thought this through carefully. Here you go, here's chapter nine! ---Mary**

**Third Person's P.O.V (Somewhere in the Olympic Rainforest)**

The Cullens sat in their big white mansion that was hidden to the human eye. The lights pouring out would've been seen were it not for the thick trees.

Alice and Jasper sat together on a white couch, Carlisle and Esme mimicking them. Emmet and Rosalie sat in chairs opposite each other, and Edward, distraught, was pacing back and forth.

He hadn't been the same since Italy. Carlisle and Esme had wanted to know what had happened to their little human daughter, and were appalled that she was no longer a human.

Alice and Edward weren't in good enough shape to speak of what happened in the giant old castle, so while Alice cried, Jasper explained. Esme and Carlisle were shocked, to say the least.

Rosalie glared hard at Edward, who stopped, looking at her, and shivered. He picked up again at half his old pace. Everyone in the room---including Jasper and Alice---scowled at him when Jasper finished the story. Even Emmet wasn't in a forgiving mood.

Edward ran out of the living room at the moment that somewhere, far, far away in the dark, damp forest, a wolf howled loudly. It wasn't a regular howl. Anyone in the small town of Forks and even the Indian reservation of La Push would have heard the ear-piercing, heart-broken yelp.

**Marcus's P.O.V **

Bella's beauty was enhanced in the sunlight. Astonishing. Shocking. Because of the dark, black cloaks us Volturi wore, we never saw ourselves in the sunlight. Her skin glittered like crystal, she threw rainbows in the sunlight. She was breathtaking.

As if responding to my gaze, her eyelids fluttered. Her beautiful and unique eyes stared at me, sleepily, as if she wasn't ready to be woken yet. She looked so flustered, so confused. And then my eyes dropped---of their own accord---to her lips. They were slightly parted and cherry-red. Before I knew it, my mouth was on hers. It was very gentle, like last time.

"Well, good morning to you, too." Bella said, when we finally broke apart. Her face wasn't cold anymore. She was affected by my very presence.

She pulled away from me, and stretched. The black silk robe was still tied around her firmly. She kicked off the slippers and walked into the closet I'd had Heidi put in for her.

I heard the shuffling of clothes hangers. The zipping of a dress. The fastening of a row of pearl buttons. And finally, my Bella walked back out, the long red gown flowing around her. It was floor-length, it was a maroon red, and accented her eyes perfectly **(Picture of dress on my profile)**.

She walked towards me, but stopped, and cocked her head as if she were listening.

"Marcus, our presence is requested by Aro." she said, taking my hand and leading me out of the room. Her grace surprised me as she walked quickly down the hall.

Bella inclined her head to Aro and Caius as we entered the throne room. "Good morning, brothers." she said, and walked to her throne.

Caius looked at Aro, who shrugged and motioned for both of us to sit down. When we did, he called to the doors. "Bring the law-breaker forward," he looked at Bella, whose face was cold. She stared blankly at the doors.

"May I take control of this one, Aro?" Bella asked suddenly, and the doors opened as Aro was nodding yes.

Demitri and Felix walked in, dragging a cocky-looking vampire by the wrists. He didn't even try to fight. My Bella stood. The vampire looked surprised at the fact that there was another ruler in the throne room. The wives usually weren't allowed in here at this time.

Bella drifted lazily to stand in front of the vampire.

"Do you know why you're here?" she asked the vampire, who looked mesmerized a her voice. It truly was beautiful. I would like to listen to her speak Italian all day long. She bent her head to the vampire's ear. "I do," she whispered. Her voice was gentle, with only a hint of menace. The vampire shivered.

"I-I br-broke the law, y-your Highness." he bowed his head. Bella placed her hands on the side of his face. She stared straight over his head. Her face zoned back into the current time, and I saw her expression become cold and calculating. She was pondering something.

She stepped back then. "Which law?" she said quietly, not wanting to make him afraid.

"What? What do you mean, 'which law'?" the vampire asked, curious.

"Let him stand," Bella said to Demitri and Felix.

"But, Bella," Demitri and Felix stuttered at the same time. They were shocked, as I was.

"Can't you see he is uncomfortable? Let him stand!" she barked, angry. They did at once. Her face softened. "Thank you. I don't like having my orders disobeyed." she explained to them.

"Thank you, my lady." the vampire said, grateful. It was true, he was looking much more comfortable now that he wasn't kneeling before us four.

"Your name?" Bella asked, circling him.

"My name is Peter." he replied confidently.

"Ah, yes…" Bella murmured, still looking him over, "but where is Charlotte?"

"My mate? What do you want her for?" Peter started to worry. I could see his bond was extremely strong to his mate.

"Peter, be calm." Bella smiled gently. "I was just questioning her absence. Now, which law did you break?"

"I revealed myself to a human." Peter hung his head in shame. He either didn't mean to, or he was a heck of a liar.

Bella touched his arm with her palm. She looked at Aro, Caius, and I.

"He's telling the truth," she said calmly. "I suggest we kill the human and any other witnesses. The whole town if we need to. We can just light it on fire when it's midnight." she amazed me. She figured that out in a few short seconds.

"I second the motion." Aro said from beside me. What? For once, when Bella was here, he was against killing a vampire.

"Why?" Caius asked, incredulous. Really? He found nothing wrong with killing a breathing, moving vampire?

"Because," I said, outraged, "Aro obviously saw that Peter here," I gestured to where Bella still had a firm grasp on his arm. "Cares a lot for his mate, and it would devastate her if he were to be dead!" like what would happen if Caius had optioned to kill my Bella.

Aro looked at me with a sense of wonder. I had guessed right, I wagered.

"We'll go with your option then, Bella," Aro looked at her in pride. He was proud that she had thought of a less-violent way of delivering justice.

"Wait," I said, and Bella's head snapped to look at me. "You're not against killing humans?" I asked her slowly. She shook her head.

"Why should I? We're the dominant race, anyway. We're much more powerful and more intelligent than them." she amazed me.

"Exactly," I said.

"Then you're free to go, Peter," Bella said, looking back at the law-breaker. "Demitri, Felix, and Jane will go back with you and take care of the town." she looked at the three she summoned, "You'll take the jet. When you get to the town, start the fire a few miles away, a lightning storm will start there in a few days, make it look like an accident." the three nodded and started out the door. Felix was already with the car.

"Thank you," Peter said to Bella suddenly. "They'll tell the tale for a hundred years of the Merciful Bella Volturi," he bent and kissed her hand, before sprinting out the door with the others.

Bella walked over to me and sat on her throne. I looked at my watch. Jane would be back in a few minutes.

"Everyone!" I called, and they were assembled. Everyone had been getting a bit testy; we hadn't eaten since the day before. "You know what to do," I said.

"This way, stay together please," I heard Heidi's voice call from the hallway.

"Welcome, guests! Welcome to Volterra!" Aro called, and we sprang into action.

When I'd had my fill, I saw Bella. She was just finishing taking the person's soul. She wiped it off her mouth and sank in her teeth. When the human was drained, she lifted her head and saw everyone's eyes trained on her. She'd taken twice the normal time of the rest of us.

I was rather enraged that they were staring at her. "Well? What are you all looking at?" I yelled, and they all flinched. Everyone went back to their various activities.

I put my arms around Bella's shoulders. Bella put her hand on my cheek. I could feel something prodding at my mind.

"What's tomorrow?" Bella asked, concerned. I'd spent a the few days before she'd came worrying about it.

"Oh!" I gasped, surprised. It hadn't come to my mind for a while. The Saint Marcus Day Ball. "Oh, it's the Saint Marcus Day Ball." I said out loud. Bella's face lit up.

"A ball?" she asked happily. I watched her face as I nodded. She got even happier.

"Bella, Heidi will help you pick out something to wear; don't worry." and then I thought about something that might benefit her. "You must go to that small town…what was it called…Forks! That's it! Forks! You must go to Forks and invite the Cullens to the ball. If they turn you down, then calmly walk away." Bella was looking at me with shock painted all over her face.

"Do I have to?" she stuttered and clutched at her sides again. But her eyes weren't black. She was fine.

"Ma, mio caro, renderebbe me così felice! E sarebbero certamente sorpresi! Prego, amore mio? La prego, prego, per favore? Il Cullen sono un coven molto importante e per invitarli alla palla. Hanno alcuni talenti che vuole anche Aro. E avrai pochi altri oportunities di andare se fai bene su questa missione…"** (Translation: But, my dear, it would make me so very happy! And they would certainly be surprised! Please, my love? Please, please, please? The Cullen's are a very important coven, and to invite them to the ball. They have some talents that Aro wants as well. And you'll have few other oportunities to go out if you do well on this mission…)** I trailed off, and she softened as I used Italian.

"Okay, Marcus, I'll go," she said, calmly. I smiled; I'd won again.

"You leave tomorrow, then," I was sure that there was another jet that she could use. I let Aro touch my hand then, and he nodded.

Bella didn't show any signs of tiring as the night wore on, but I pulled her up and we retired for the night. Bella headed straight to the bathroom as we entered my room, and I didn't blame her; she only cleaned up the day before.

This time, she went into the shower instead. I heard each individual drop hit her skin. I could feel the heat emanating from the bathroom. God, the girl was so dangerous…

When Bella stepped out of the bathroom this night, she was wearing a nightgown instead of the black robe. The nightgown was partially covered by a silk robe. Not black, but the same color of the gown itself. It was lavender, floor-length, and low-cut. The thin ribbon straps rested gently on her shoulders. Her hair was damp, but not dripping wet like the night before. It tumbled around her and reached down to her waist, where it pooled and curled back on itself.

She walked towards me, then past me, then lay down on the bed. She closed her eyes, and I lay beside her. I put my arm around her shoulders. I had an early meeting the next morning, and we wouldn't see each other until she came back from her trip to see the Cullens.

I kissed her on her full lips and she smiled. It wasn't her usual small quirk of the lips, it was a full, toothy smile.

I breathed slowly as she slipped into sleep. Her pale features relaxed and her head moved slightly until her head was against my chest again.

I watched her sleep until the sky turned slightly gray.

I gently untangled Bella from myself and wrote her a note. Then I laid out her outfit for the day. I could only imagine, as I held the silky fabric, how she would look in it. I sighed quietly and swung on my cloak. Fastening it, I looked back at my Bella, who was sleeping peacefully, nestled in the silk sheets.

I thought ruefully how this would be the last time I would see her for four days. I memorized her face one more time and walked out the door.

**Bella's P.O.V**

I awoke to find that my Marcus wasn't where he usually was waiting for me to wake up. Looking at the pillow next to me, I saw a smooth, white card. Picking it up, I read:

_La mia Bella,_

_Sapevo che sarebbe risveglio per trovare solo mia assenza, ma lo spiegherò. Ho una riunione di oggi e sarà per la partenza e non vedere fino a quando torna in quattro giorni. Sei vestito per riunione il Cullens incombe in guardaroba. I gioielli per la corrispondenza sono la vanità. Demitri deve restituire dalla sua uscita con Peter giusto prima che si è dovuto lasciare. Egli verrà escort si per costruirle l'aeroporto dove teniamo il jet; non importa quello che lei dice, è necessaria la protezione. I miei fratelli e mi mancherà terribilmente. I love è, hanno un grande momento, Yours in Eternity, Marco. _**(Translation at bottom author's note.) **

As I read the words over and over again, I felt tears come to my eyes. He was such an odd person, but so romantic at the same time! Oh, so frustrating.

I stepped into the checkered dress, tied the bow, combed out my hair, slipped on the leather gloves, and was zipping the black suede boots just as Demitri burst through the door, holding my floor-length black cloak. He froze when he saw me.

I pirouetted for him, letting him see every angle.

"You like?" I asked as he stood, gaping at me. I cleared my throat when he didn't respond.

"You look astonishing, if I may be so bold, my lady," he managed to choke out.

I laughed slightly.

Time to go meet the Cullens. I thought to myself as Demitri handed me the cloak. I quickly clasped it around my neck and ghosted after him out the door.

**A/N: Translation for the letter: My Bella,**

**I knew you would wake to find only my absence, but I shall explain it. I have a meeting today, and won't be there for your departure, and won't see you until you come back in four days. You're outfit for meeting the Cullens is hanging in the wardrobe. The jewelry to match is on the vanity. Demitri shall return from his outing with Peter right before you're supposed to leave. He'll escort you to the airport hanger where we keep the jet; no matter what you say, you need protection. My brothers and I will miss you terribly. I love you, have a great time, Yours in Eternity, Marcus. **

**Please review my story. I need the feedback. ---Mary**


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Here's chapter ten! Enjoy!!!

**Esme's P.O.V (The Cullen mansion)**

I had joined Edward in pacing. Bella…why was she doing this? To my son? To my family? Jasper and Alice stood and left. Jasper left, I believe because of all the tension in the room. It had to be taking a toll on him. 

That was when Edward and I, the closest to the back of the house, heard the six pairs of vampire feet racing through the forest. Jasper and Alice paused and came rushing back. Carlisle got up and stood at the head of the family. The footsteps slowed. 

Three long black cloaks…of the Volturi guard came striding out of the shadows. Two were positioned in front of the third, who looked distinctly female. Her scent was so sweet, so staggering, I had to grip Carlisle's arm to keep from falling over. He looked back at me with sympathy. Then I remembered that because he was in front of me, he was smelling that ten times more concentrated. 

Two of the threes shed their hoods. Demitri and Felix. And in the back was still an unfamiliar face. Demitri and Felix quickly traded places with the female, who still had her hood on. I felt Edward stiffen.

When the female shoved her hood backwards, I couldn't hold in my gasp…my daughter…my lost, twisted, vampire daughter…

**Felix's P.O.V **

When we touched down, Bella immediately threw her cloak on and put the hood up. We sprinted through the forest, to the Cullen's house. 

We leapt over the wide river and slowed. Bella fixed her hood and made her expression. She tried to not gasp as she saw the three that were in our throne room so recently. I patted her shoulder quickly and we got in formation. Anything to protect Marcus's soul mate. 

Demitri and I removed our hoods and traded places with Bella. She was leading us now. She stepped forward and removed her hood. The leader's mate, Esme, gasped in either horror or surprise. Distinguishing either one was a lost concept with me. 

She walked up to Carlisle and held out her hand. Demitri and I tensed. When Carlisle finally took her hand, she began to speak.

"It is nice to formally meet you, Carlisle. Aro has spoken nothing but good of you for the last few days." she said with a slight smile. Carlisle looked like he was in shock. 

"Ah, you as well, Isabella," he said, kissing the top of her hand. It was just a gesture of respect. I had to give it to Carlisle; he was quick to recover.

Bella bowed her head and moved to Esme. 

"Esme," Bella said, looking over her. 

"Isabella," Esme said formally and bowed her head. 

"Esme, it's Bella. Isabella is too much of a mouthful." Bella smiled. She removed her cloak then. She handed it to me. I slung it over my arm. 

It revealed her outfit. Now I saw what Demitri meant by 'breathtaking'; she was stunning. A checkered dress that went just past her knees (extremely low-cut, to bear the golden Volturi crest), suede boots that started where the hem ended, and leather gloves that only came to her wrists. 

She moved to the small, pixie-like one.

"Alice," Bella said, inclining her head. Alice nodded back. She looked like she would be crying if it were possible.

"Jasper," was next, presumably. The honey-blonde's power was the only thing keeping me from snatching Bella away from their rudeness. 

"Rosalie and Emmet," Bella said at last, now on to the message. "You all are invited to the Saint Marcus Day Ball in the castle. Aro would be very pleased if you'd come," she said, handing the invitation to Carlisle. She closed her eyes tightly and pinched the bridge of her nose. What was wrong again? 

When she reopened them, the whites were black, and her irises resembled coal. She needed a soul. She clutched at her sides and fell to her knees, right when I rushed over to her and picked her up. 

"What's happening?" Carlisle asked, shocked. He'd never seen a vampire like Bella before. 

"Demitri, you know what to do!" I yelled at him over Bella's moaning. 

He nodded and raced off into the green. Every second felt like an hour. When Demitri finally returned, he was carrying a passed-out human. Bella's head snapped up.

She leapt out of my arms, taking the human with her, and tackled him to the ground. She made no noise as she fed. And when she was done, she looked up at Demitri and I. 

"Thank you," she managed to gasp out, wiping her mouth, ridding it of the slivery substance. 

Carlisle and Esme were looking at her like she was a science experiment or something. I moved to stand in front of her, snarling at anyone who got too close. She was my little sister, God darn it! And I was going to protect her. 

Demitri soon mirrored my pose. I felt a delicate hand on my shoulder. I looked over to see Bella staring at me with an intent expression. She was willing me to calm down.

I glanced over to see the Cullens staring at all three of us in shock. 

"I believe it is time to go now," Bella said, moving through Demitri and I, "and we would be glad if you'd come to the ball." she nodded and us and them and wheeled, racing into the dark, cold forest. 

We inclined our heads at the Cullens and followed her.

**A/N: Hope you liked it, I didn't make it long enough, I know. But I hope you liked it anyway! --Mary**


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: Thank you for all the positive reviews! You guys made my day! ---Mary**

**Marcus's P.O.V**

I stood in the hanger, waiting the arrival of my Bella. Right on queue, the jet came rocketing down the runway.

Before the plane stopped, I heard from the inside, "Thank you for flying Air Vampire! We hope you enjoyed your flight!" I rolled my eyes. Only Demitri could joke about what we are. Or maybe that Emmet Cullen fellow…he seemed just as ignorant as Demitri did.

I heard Bella's slight chuckle as she walked down the steps. Her eyes were clear, their undiluted colors. She'd fed while she was in Washington. Dressed in the outfit I'd laid out for her, she took my breath away.

When she saw me standing there, her face lit up. I was in a different world. I ran to her and engulfed her in a hug, carrying her the rest of the way down the stairs. I carried her all the way to the limo. It had extra-dark tint on the windows; it was extremely sunny out. I smiled as Bella rolled her eyes at me.

We were silent the whole way to the castle, only looking into each other's eyes. It was as if she was penetrating my soul. But I was still trying to unravel hers.

It was a physical ache, to be away from Bella. Like there was a pull making the distance between us even longer. It hurt.

I scooped Bella up once the limo stopped, wrapping her in her own cloak before running to the castle with her in my arms.

What I didn't expect, though, was two figures bursting out of the castle and rushing to us at top speed.

**Bella's P.O.V**

I looked forward as Marcus stopped, stunned. I jumped out of his arms and slowed down time. _And…STOP! _I thought, and just like that, it froze. The hoods of the people were flipped back, and I looked into the frightened faces of Caius and Aro.

They had expressions of pure fear and extreme worry. It pained me to see them like this. I needed to know what was happening. _Go on, now. _I thought.

They continued rushing forward, only coming to a halt as I held up my hand.

"Just calm down and tell me what's wrong," I said calmly. I wasn't going to loose my head no matter what.

"The Romanians!" Caius and Marcus chocked out together. Then Caius spoke alone, "They have a good quarter of the vampire population, as well as a newborn army! They could destroy the entire city!" I narrowed my eyes.

"How many vampires do they have?" I asked, while I was calculating. If he said a quarter of the vampire population, that meant the Chinese coven, the Russian coven, the Romanians themselves, the Indian coven, the Turkish coven, the Arabic coven and on and on and on…but there weren't many in each of those covens, so it would mean just about…

"Fifty," Aro said, glancing between Marcus and I. Darn.

I felt something watching me from the shadows Marcus and I went for a run.

"Bella? Do you want to race?" He asked, eyes bright. Not wanting to make him disappointed, I nodded and we took off into the forest.

About halfway into the race, I felt the same chilling, prickling feeling of eyes on my back. I heard the snap of a twig under someone's feet. I whirled and saw two eyes watching me from the shadows.

**A/N: Ask me questions in your reviews. If I get enough, I'll answer some in my next update. I'll let them remain anonymous, don't worry. But ask my anything you want about the story, some part you didn't understand, or you can just give me a normal review. Have a nice day, Peoples of the Internet!---Mary**


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: Like the cliffhanger in the previous chapter? Yeah, I liked it too. Still haven't gotten enough questions to answer any…ask away. On with the story!!---Mary**

**Bella's P.O.V**

A split second before I was tackled to the ground, I could analyze the eyes that were staring back at me. They were black, but that gave me no insight to whom the belonged to. They could be anyone. And the wind was blowing to them, so I had no scent to recognize.

Suddenly I was on the ground.

"Bella!" the person from on top of my called. I looked up and saw no other than Charlotte, Peter's mate.

"Charlotte!" I called, an imitation of her tone. She got off me and pulled on my hand to get me to stand up.

She stared at me and I caught her scent. Yep, definitely Charlotte. I smiled at her and she gave a wide grin back.

"Bella!?" a frightened voice called from a few miles into the brush.

"Over here, Marcus!" I yelled and sighed. Overprotective fool…

"Oh, grazie a Dio sei sicuro! Ero così preoccupato! Chi è? Oh, Charlotte, è solo lei. Ma dove Peter?"**(Translation: Oh, thank God you're safe! I was so worried! Who is this? Oh, Charlotte, it's just you. But where's Peter?) **Marcus shouted as he scooped me up in his arms. I sighed and rolled my eyes. Only he could show only concern for me and then get distracted. But he wouldn't if I was in any real danger, which I wasn't.

"Oh, Peter is fine! He was just lingering in Venice for a while." Charlotte assured Marcus as he gently put me down and picked up my hand instead.

"That's good," Marcus said before he kissed my hand and turned his eyes to me, "I couldn't find you, I overreacted, I'm sorry." Why was he apologizing? I'm the one that ran off.

I rolled my eyes and turned to Charlotte.

"Charlotte, this is my soul mate, Marcus." I said proudly, gesturing with the hand that wasn't occupied. Charlotte's eyes widened considerably.

"That's great, Bella!" she cried and hugged me awkwardly. "Marcus, can I speak with you for a minute, alone?" she added hastily as I narrowed my eyes.

**Marcus's P.O.V**

"But of course, Charlotte!" I didn't want to know what 'talking to me alone' implied. So I followed her after gazing lovingly at my Bella.

When we were alone---just a few miles into the forest, just enough away for Bella to not hear---Charlotte spun to face me, her expression guarded and venomous at the same time.

"You had better not hurt her, you hear me, Marcus?!" she hissed, furious. I was shocked. She really thought I would hurt my Bella?…

"Char---" I started, but she cut me off.

"No." she growled and I immediately shut my mouth. "She's been through too much to deal with this crud. If you so much as make her cry, I will rip you to pieces. Clear?"

I swallowed.

"Crystal clear, ma'am." I saluted her---not joking at all---and tried to hide my fear.

**A/N: A little short, I know, but this is the third chapter that I've posted today! A record, I think. Check out my other stories for the other chapters I've gotten in today. And please, please, please, ask me some questions. I'll be there are some things you're curious about. Oh, oh, oh! More voting! Look below!! **

**Should Edward Cullen To Die In My Story???? A for Yes. B for No. **

**Should Bella & Edward Get Back Together???? C for Yes. D for No.**

**Should I Put A Lot More Action In This Story???? E for Yes. F for No.**

**Should Bella Hate Edward And Look For Revenge???? G for Yes. H for No.**

**Tell me what you think, ask questions! But I will not let any information on how the story will turn out loose. It would be too dangerous. And vote, always vote!!! Goodnight Everybody!!--Mary**


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: Not enough questions yet. Sorry, but no dice! Enjoy the chapter! --Mary**

**Marcus's P.O.V**

I walked back to where Bella was waiting in a complete daze. Dainty little Charlotte, who was always so bubbly and full of happiness, had become completely hostile and threatened me! Completely shocking. I broke into a run.

"Marcus, are you alright?" Bella asked, appearing suddenly beside me. I put on my best 'calm' face, and looked her in the eye.

"Of course, I'm fine." I said, lying to her. Anything to protect her from the truth. From danger. My God! I'm just as bad as Edward Cullen! Maybe if I had done the same for Didyme, she wouldn't have died.

"What about Edward Cullen?" Bella hissed, "And who is Didyme?" she looked me in the eyes with such an intense and betrayed look that I was stunned into silence. Wh-what was happening? I could barely breathe. "Why are you lying to me, Marcus? I thought we were supposed to tell each other everything!" when I didn't answer immediately, she shook her head at me and ran as fast as she could back to the castle.

I sat on the ground and put my head in my hands. _What_…have I _done_?

**Bella's P.O.V**

He lied to me…about everything! He knew what Edward did was true! He lied to me about taking me from my home. My green, rainy home! Where I belonged! I wiped angry tears out of my eyes. They dropped to the earthy ground and melted some of the dirt.

I clenched my jaw and stopped the tears with a thought. I wouldn't cry. Not over another heart-breaker. I held my head high as I walked proudly through the corridors of my castle. Is he cheating? Man I don't know!

"Bella!" Aro called and smiled as I turned. My expression was utterly cold, I could feel it. There was nothing there. My soul was reduced to a quarter of what it was when I drank them. "What happened?" Aro asked, anxious now.

"Nothing of consequence," I said icily, "well, for you and Caius, anyway." I added and walked away.

I went back to my room and pulled a CD out that I found near the stereo. I placed it carefully in and listened. It was Rihanna. A techno-pop beat filled the room.

_I don't know who you think I am,_

_I don't know who you think I am,_

_I don't know who you think I am,_

_I don't know who you think I am,_

_Am, am, am, am, am, am, am, ow!_

I think I like this girl!

_He been gone since three thirty (three thirty)_

_And coming home lately at three thirty (three thirty)_

_I'm super cool, I've been a fool,_

_But now I'm hot, and, baby you gonna get it,_

_Now I ain't tripping, ah; I ain't twisting, ah,_

_I ain't demented, huh; well, just a lil' bit, huh,_

_I'm kicking a**es, I'm taking names,_

_I'm on flame; don't come home, babe,_

Ah, revenge, the sweetest of all poisons.

_I'm breaking dishes up in here,_

_All night (uh, huh)_

_I ain't gonna stop 'till I see police lights (uh, huh)_

_I'm a fight a man tonight,_

_I'm a fight a man tonight,_

_I'm a fight a man, a man, a man,_

_A man, a man, a man. (oh)_

Ha, ha. Love this song!

_I'm still waiting; come through the door,_

_I'm killing time, you know, bleechin your clothes,_

_I'm rosting marshmallows on the fire,_

_And whit I'm burning is your attire,_

_I'm getting restless,_

_I'm getting testy,_

_And I can't believe he's always out all night and never checks in,_

_Is he cheating? _

_Man I don't know!_

_I'm looking 'round for something else to throw._

A strange form of redemption, but obviously an effective one.

_I'm breaking dishes up in here,_

_All night (uh, huh)_

_I ain't gonna stop 'till I see police lights (uh, huh)_

_I'm a fight a man tonight,_

_I'm a fight a man tonight,_

_I'm a fight a man, a man, a man,_

_A man, a man, a man. (oh)_

_I don't know who you think I am, I am, I am, I am,_

_But really don't give a d*** right now,_

_If you don't come, I'm a huff and puff and blow this, blow this whole_

_Blow this, blow this,_

_I'm a blow this, blow this whole,_

_Blow this, blow this,_

_I'm a low this whole,_

_Blow this house, house down,_

_Dishes breaking, dishes breaking, dishes…_

_I'm breaking dishes up in here, _

_All night (uh, huh)_

_I ain't gonna stop 'till I see police lights (uh, huh)_

_I'm a fight a man tonight,_

_I'm a fight a man tonight,_

_I'm a fight a man, a man, a man,_

_A man, a man, a man (fight a man)_

_A man, a man, a man,_

_A man, a man, a man (oh)_

_Breakin', breakin', breakin', breakin,_

_(dishes, dishes, dishes)_

_Breakin', breakin', breakin', breakin',_

_(dishes, dishes, dishes)_

_Breakin', breakin', breakin', breakin',_

_(dishes, dishes, dishes)_

_Breakin', breakin', breakin', breakin',_

_(dishes, dishes, dishes)_

The song ended, then. I closed my eyes and let the anger of what Marcus did to me posses my mind. It didn't turn out very well.

**Aro's P.O.V**

I heard a huge peal of thunder. I looked out the window of mine and Sulpicia's bedroom. It was pouring rain. Non-stop. The drops pelted the ground with enough force to crack bone. The temperature outside dropped until all the humans scrambled back inside.

Hail rained from the angry black sky. I heard within the thunder and commotion what sounded like a strangled cry, full of anguish and depression. Bella was upset.

I raced up to her and Marcus's room and kicked the door in. She was gripping her sides, her eyes pitch black, even the whites. I rushed over to her and tried shushing her…to no avail.

The raging storm continued as I sat with my arms around Bella. Sometime in the night, her sobs quieted into hiccups, and the hail subsided, but the pouring rain kept soaking everything. It was as if the sky was crying for Bella. But I knew it was Bella herself who was causing this.

"Why?" she asked suddenly, staring out the window as she made the wind pick up.

"Why what?" I asked, curious.

"Why did Marcus have to lie to me? Why did Edward leave me? Why do I know that Marcus had a mate before me?" she fired off these questions without pausing to let me speak.

I tried to answer them the best I could.

"Well…maybe he was trying to protect you. As for Edward, I think he still loves you, too. And I going through some of your pain. I read Marcus's mind, and he said that his tie to you was just as strong as yours was to Edward. We don't know who your soul mate is." I said, not wavering. She deserved to know the truth.

Bella stared at me---as she did, I noticed something frightening; Bella's eyes were completely black, and they would be until she had her soul returned to her---and leaned in and kissed my cheek.

"Thank you, brother." she said, and gently took her hand from mine. "But you cannot bear witness to what I am about to do. Erase!" she cried, putting both of her hands to my forehead.

And then there was nothing. I couldn't remember anything but darkness. What just happened?

**Bella's P.O.V**

I looked at Aro's sleeping form. It was natural, how he would be sleeping. His mind was trying to protect itself from me. It wouldn't work, but he tried anyway.

"Goodbye, Aro. I'm not sure when I'll be back." I kissed both his cheeks and his forehead and swung my cloak over me. I put a protective bubble of air around me, so I wouldn't be soaked by the rain, and jumped out the window.

Goodbye, Volterra, I thought. I might never see you again.

**A/N: Well, what'd you think? Tell me! And I need to part with you on one message: YOU NEED TO **_ASK _**QUESTIONS TO HAVE THEM ANSWERED! I know you have questions! And when you don't have them answered, it feels bad! --Mary**


	14. Chapter 14

**A/N: This is one of the best chapters I've made so far, including the first one, which is the longest so far…have fun reading, my peoples.**

**Unknown P.O.V (the streets of Italy)**

A figure in a black cloak strode across the deserted, snowy square. If you looked closely, you would have seen an unusual grace to how she walked, a prowling motion. Like she wasn't normal. But what was normal?

The girl would not have noticed you, gawking like everyone else that was out his late. She was too buried in her own misery. Wallowing in pain.

The weather in Italy had been unusually cold since the storm. Hail and rain lay---still where they fell on the day of the storm---frozen on the ground. Not even the sidewalk or any of the cobblestones were visible under the ice. It had been below thirty every day, for the longest time. And it was only November.

What was the girl doing out during this ungodly hour? She surely could not be going home from work, could she? Nobody had a job that required this late commute. Nobody wanted to face the weather unless they had to.

You notice the cloak that she is wearing has a gold clasp. What was the letter it formed? It was an intricate V. The girl suddenly stopped. She clutched at her sides, her face hidden beneath the hood of the cloak. Was she cold? No, she was bowing her head, reaching up to touch the gold clasp. She jerked her fingers away so quickly you would have sworn it had burned her. You see her chest move with a large breath as she started walking again.

Her hood suddenly fell. You could see her face. It was all you could do to not gasp. Her face was that of an angel. Her eyes were black. From what you could see. Black glasses framed her eyes, clashing ever-so-slightly with her deathly pale skin. Her hair was a deep brown and had strands of red that weaved in and out of the color.

She was truly stunning, but that still didn't explain why she was out and about at three in the morning. As you watch, you can see her full lips move. Since she cannot see you, she talks to herself. You catch some words in Italian.

"_Io dovrei non hanno fatto questo... io dovrei non hanno messo in dubbio... la sua fiducia dovrei non hanno lasciato... perché io sono così stupido__**?!" **_**(Translation: I should not have done this...I should not have questioned his trust...I should not have left...Why am I so stupid?!) **Well…she obviously was on the run, but didn't look at all affected by the cold. She was an odd one. As she started running, you can't help but marvel at her beauty.

Then you notice something running down her face. It was a drip of a clear substance. As it fell to the ground, you notice the snow melting under it, sizzling, even. The entire ground is then melted, and where the drop fell, the stone has eroded into a small hole.

You fall asleep looking at it.

When you wake in the morning, you see that the hole in the ground is still there. But you look around in the chaos of the morning and do not see the girl. She has disappeared.

**Bella's P.O.V**

I walked into the small coffee shop in western Utah. Not that I needed it, but the service was friendly, and I had wished to be able to eat and drink. Now I can stomach coffee. Lovely (queue sarcasm).

I sighed and pushed the door open and walked to the counter. There was my favorite waitress, Caroline. She had shoulder-length, warm brown hair, her eyes were the lightest green I'd ever seen eye color be, and her smile was wide and white. She had a scar on her neck where she'd had surgery, and she was very tall. Her eyeteeth were large for a human, but then again, she had large teeth for a human.

She smiled at me and said, "The usual, Bella?" I nodded as she started making the iced coffee that I always had when I came here.

Nobody else was in the small store as I sat down, so Caroline was able to sit with me until more customers came back. Caroline grinned and sipped her tea as she sat with me.

"How've you been, Bella?" she asked kindly, and I had no choice but to reply.

"The same, Caroline. The same…unfortunately." I sighed and took a gulp of the drink Caroline brought me.

"That's not good…" Caroline muttered so quietly that I was sure I wasn't supposed to hear it, but I did anyway.

My eyes had returned to their normal color, but the irises were still black. Scary, when I was glaring. But hypnotizing when I was hungry.

I handed Caroline an envelope that I had been hiding in my cloak. She gasped as she opened it.

"Bella…I can't take this from you…" she said, shaking her head and handing it back to me. In the envelope was the bill for my last sixty coffees and fifty dollar tips for each. Every time I came in, the first time she saw my face, she said, with a cheerful smile, 'No, it's on the house.' I hadn't known what she'd meant when she'd said that, but I soon realized when I had walked out, thanking her and not paying her anything.

I sighed and pushed the envelope back at her. She was having some trouble paying the rent in her apartment, and I wanted to help her out.

"No, you have to, Caroline. I want to, I don't even need it!" I growled at her and set my coffee down.

Caroline sighed and took the envelope back.

"Fine, Bella. You know you always win!" she said grumpily and swatted my arm lightly. She looked around the coffee shop, most of the paintings on the wall were done by her.

"They really are beautiful, Caroline," I said truthfully, and she looked back at me as if she weren't paying attention. "You should paint some more and give a private showing. Everyone who is anyone attends and artist's private showing of their new work."

Caroline laughed so hard she almost spat out her coffee.

"M-me?" she choked out, giggling like an idiot, "You r-really t-think th-that I-I c-could be an a-artist?" she asked, still laughing.

_I wish my friend could be the most famous artist she's ever dreamt of being. _I thought and then smiled.

"You can be anything you want to," _literally…_I thought with an inward chuckle.

"Bella, stop trying to avoid the subject. Why did you leave Marcus?" Caroline asked, suddenly professional.

"Because I think he was cheating on me, and he lied to me about something." I muttered, just loudly enough for her to hear.

"How do you think that he lied to you or that he's cheating on you?" Caroline asked, and I shook my head. That was the signal that she'd gone to far, that I couldn't tell her any more, or I'd be breaking my own laws.

"Bella!" someone called from the doorway. I turned and saw the one vampire I'd managed to save from the clutches of Caius…Peter.

I stood and ran to the door, opening it for him and hugging the surprised vampire tightly.

"Peter! It's so good to see you! What's happening back home?" I asked in a rush. Peter laughed and smiled, putting a finger to my lips to shush me.

"One question at a time, now why don't you introduce me to your lovely friend over here?" he asked and walked over to Caroline. I gave him a warning as he caught her scent, but luckily he had blue contacts on over his red irises.

"This is Caroline," I said and said, "Caroline, this is Peter."

Peter walked over and shook her hand. Caroline shook his hand back and I was surprised when I saw she didn't shudder. She was used enough to my cold skin to not even notice his.

"I met him when I was still with Marcus," I said under my breath into Caroline's ear, even though I knew that Peter could hear.

Caroline's eyes widened and then narrowed. She was obviously angry at him for something that might have made me angry enough to leave.

I put my hand on her shoulder and slid my glasses down to my nose. Caroline had never seen my eyes, and was surprised to see the dark circles under them and the depth of the black color.

She nodded and stopped glaring at Peter.

"So, Peter, what brings you to this small, remote part of Italy?" I asked and Peter looked at me like he had just remembered I was there.

Peter looked at me with a worried look in his eyes. Finally, after staring at me, trying to convey something I couldn't understand, he said, "The battle with the Romanians has begun…and we are going to loose."

**A/N: Well, how'd you like that? --Mary**


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: I'm so sorry about the long wait, but this part was really hard to figure out; I kept changing and re-changing the sentences and trying really hard to get everything right, to put this the right way. Enjoy the sweet words, my friends…--Mary McMillin**

**Bella's P.O.V**

I blinked. Wait, what? We were going to loose? We weren't going to survive? What about…Marcus? Was he going to make it?

"Peter…" I choked out and took my glasses away from my face, making a nervous gesture with my hands.

"You heard me right," Peter said. God, I swear sometimes he can read my mind! "The Volturi are going to loose. And before you can ask, Marcus is going to die." how did he know that? "Alice called after she had a very…how shall I put this?…disturbing vision," Alice was involved in this? "She said that your decision to stay away was going to destroy us, as well as Volterra. But your wavering will made it possible for Alice to see the opposite future." I looked at him, pleading for him to tell me the future I would choose in a heartbeat. "The other future, were to return, was one in which the Romanians were wiped out, as well as their army. Nobody would ever try the Volturi again." I nodded and decided what I must do.

I was going home. And nobody was going to stop me from protecting my family and my Marcus. Not anybody. Not Edward, not the Romanians, or their massive gathering of vampires…

Not even myself.

**Marcus's P.O.V**

The size of their numbers rivaled ours by a large margin. We were going to die. The fight erupted.

Alec and Jane were their focus, obviously. They were the most dangerous in our guard. Aro leapt into the fray, and I could hear him calling through the smoke to help him save Jane and Alec. Aro managed to stop several of the soldiers from killing his most prized possessions, but not before they had each lost an arm.

Aro himself was loosing his head…metaphorically, of course. He hadn't been cheerful since Bella left, and hadn't smiled for months.

I myself had to help, fighting like a robot; mechanically. I took down seven before I had arms circling my waist and head.

"Any last words, O Great Marcus?" someone sneered nasally next to my ear. I shook my head as their arms tightened. They were just about to tear my head off and burn my body when a black and white electricity sizzled through the city. It was pure as an angel, and black as a demon. It was murderous and calm. It plunged through the streets, right towards the fight, and I couldn't help but stare at it.

Suddenly, the energy reared up, and took the form of a falcon. It must have been visible for miles around and probably from space, but it seemed like it was thin and unprotected. It was a contradiction to itself. It let out a keening roar that wasn't louder than a human's yell in the real world, but sounded as the loudest lion's screech in my head. It echoed through the air and my skull, and only dimmed as the lard bird dissipated.

Something floated gracefully down from it. She wore not only a black cloak, but the color was switching every minute, from black to white. Incredible. She was so magnificent that the Romanians' army had stopped destroying us to look at the stranger. Her hood was covering her eyes, but I could see that whoever it was hadn't hunted in a long time. Her hair shifted in opposite time with her cloak. Black cloak, platinum-blonde hair. White cloak, midnight-black hair. She radiated pure, untainted power.

She came to a halt right in front of our temporarily paused fight. Then she spoke, thunder punctuating her every calm word.

"What has brought this usually docile argument to bloodshed?" her voice was distinctly familiar, but when she spoke, her lips didn't move. No-one made a move to answer and the air was so tense you could have cut it with a knife, so she took a deep breath and visibly calmed the atmosphere. "Now, I will ask you again, and this time, I expect an answer. From the leader of the Romanians, who have so obviously caused this quarrel…" she looked directly at Vladimir, "that just so happens to be on Italian soil." she finished, retaining the calm façade. To my intense surprise, Vladimir spoke up.

"What business have you here?" he asked in a hiss. He was so clearly unaffected by the woman's presence.

The woman chuckled darkly and replied to him, "Now, now, Vladimir," she smiled, her lips moving for the first time since she'd arrived here, "there's no need to be angry; I merely want to know why there is a fight here. When so many vampires are to be killed." her smiled dropped. "And as for the answer to your question, I must say that the business I have here is to stop this fracas _**(Yeah, it's a word…look it up!)**_."

She removed her hood and I saw Peter, (who had arrived a few minutes before the fight) tense and cry out in joy. It was Bella.

"But in this fight, I must pick a side. This cannot be ended without loss of life. Who wishes to live in a world without the Volturi?" Bella asked the group of vampires who encircled us. Almost all of the vampires said, "Aye!" Bella hung her head, almost as if she were regretting what she was about to do.

"Then I shall grant you your wish…" she said ominously and I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Had Bella lost it? Did she really hate me that much?

But my thoughts were cut short when Bella raised her hands. She swirled her fingers in the air. She grabbed a hold of something in the wind, and the air was still. She pulled something down with a ripping sound, and I could see a window into some other world. A gusting wind blew through the city, taking the Romanians and their army with it. It wanted to pull me along, too, but my feet were anchored to the ground.

The portal was closed, and the vampires who had opposed us were gone without a trace.

**A/N: See, that was really hard to write!!! Hope you enjoyed it! Have a nice day! ---Mary McMillin.**


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: okay, skipping ahead a few days. After the fight was over, Bella didn't answer any questions…she refused all interrogations, and most of the Volturi didn't question her, they just kept their mouths shut and thanked their lucky stars that she was there to get rid of the Romanians…---Mary McMillin**

**Bella's P.O.V**

I ran my fingers over the black and white keys. A sweet sound filled the dusty air. Light filtered in through the window, but my eyes and my skin were covered by my thick cloak. I'd flat out refused to let anyone see my eyes. I would let no-one share my pain. My agony…

_Picture-perfect memories,_

_Scattered all around the floor._

_Reaching for the phone cause,_

_I can't fight it any more._

_And I wonder if I ever cross your mind._

_For me it happens all the time._

_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone and I need you now._

_Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now._

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now._

"That was beautiful," someone said from the doorway. I turned slowly and saw Jane, eyes closed, breathing deeply and a frown set on her mouth. "But what was the second verse?"

I sighed and held back a sob.

**Jane's P.O.V**

I was I the middle of an intense game of chess with Alec when my ears caught the sweetest tune I'd heard since I'd come here. And then a lovely voice singing along with the beautifully simple melody.

"I'll be right back, okay Alec?" I asked and as he nodded, I was already out the door and sprinting up the stairs.

It was the 'secluded girl', or Bella, if you wanted to call her by her real name. she was playing the piano and singing a song I'd never heard before…so it was an original. It broke off suddenly, where there was supposed to be another verse after the chorus.

"That was beautiful," I told Bella honestly, "But what was the second verse?" I opened my eyes and saw Bella turned around on the piano bench. I walked over to her as she sighed.

"There is a second verse." she said quietly. I was startled; I hadn't expected her to answer. She hadn't answered anything since the fight. "But it's supposed to be a duet. For a guy and a girl. And…" she trailed off, face contorting in pain. I put my hand on top of hers. She stiffened and pulled away. "And I don't have a guy to sing it with." that was all? She wanted another person to sing it with.

"Bella?" I asked. She raised her head slowly, hood still covering her eyes. "Would you like me to go and get Alec? Or Santiago? They both have beautiful voices. They could sing it with you." she shook her head in dismay.

"No, that won't work." Bella said. She got up and crossed the dusty room, snatching three papers off the music stand and shoving them at me. "If you read the lyrics, then you'll understand."

My eyes scanned quickly through the lines, taking in the words and I was saddened and elated by what I saw and what I realized.

"I get it…" I whispered, looking back up at Bella's shaking form. Her fists were clenched at her sides, her head bowed, and she was suppressing sobs. She looked so miserable that it broke my heart. I threw my arms around her and muttered into her cloak, knowing she would hear me, "you don't just anybody with a great voice…you want Marcus." Bella flinched as I said his name.

"The feeling just wouldn't be there with anyone else, would it?" I asked and was sorry for her when she nodded.

"But I would rather _hurt_," Bella's voice broke on the last word, "than feel nothing at all. Which is what I've been feeling for the last few months. Nothing…" and with that, a gust of wind blew through the open window, taking Bella's hood backwards and I could see her eyes a split second before she dropped the floor, sobbing and moaning, clutching at her head too. Her eyes were the most scary thing I'd ever seen: Alternating black and pearl-white.

"Bella, Bella, shh," I dropped to my knees and held her, rocking her back and forth, until her sobs quieted into whimpers. I was about to pull away when I saw my cloak was caught on something. I brushed some of the fabric away and saw pale white fingers clutching my arms.

"Thank you, Jane." I heard Bella gasp. She looked up and I chocked back my own sob at how heartbroken and sad that she looked. Suddenly, she sprang to her feet and pulled her hood back over her eyes. A hand flashed in front of my face and I took it, and I was pulled to my feet. "I will never be able to repay you, or even ask you to keep your silence…"

"For what?" I asked, cutting her off, confused.

"For letting me vent. That felt better than even you would have imagined." Bella started walking, but stumbled a step, and fell. I was so shocked at her actions that I didn't rush to help her. She wasn't supposed to fall; she was supposed to be quick, graceful. And she most definitely shouldn't be laying on the ground, unresponsive to my shaking her.

**Edward's P.O.V (don't worry; I don't like him either…)**

Something was wrong. There was an off note in the cold, rainy air. I paced around faster than usual. Something suddenly stopped me. I looked down and saw Alice.

"Edward, what's wrong?" she asked me. "If you pace any more, you'll ware a hole in the floor…Edward!" she snapped at me as I started to pace again.

"Alice, I'm worried about Bella. I was following her in Utah but after Peter walked out of the coffee shop, she just…vanished. And that was days ago. Something is wrong now. I need to find her." after that, it was like I was talking to myself. Alice's mind was focused on the future, where she could see Bella, Marcus and I gathered together with a fairly large audience of vampires. The Volturi and us Cullens.

What were we doing in the same place at the same time?

**Bella's Instinct's P.O.V (weird, I know, but roll with it, 'kay?)**

As my mistress was…incapacitated, I called the two she---though she would never admit she did---wanted with her always. Not called, as in with a cell phone, but with my---err---her mind. I liked having this power. I liked being my own person…

Perhaps I could stay, like this, in charge. And Isabella being _my _instincts. Ah, but that would be so wrong! But Isabella had been ignoring me, denying herself blood and souls, even when I told her to feed. She should have just given in to the monster, to me. We were more powerful when we were angry. And now, I had my chance. I could just take the majority of Bella's will. Nothing too bad…maybe going on a killing spree, ruling with an iron hand, nobody denying us anything. That would be nice…

Before I knew what I was doing, I had taken more than half of Isabella's will. This was going to be _fun_. We were going to rebuild the world as one ruled by vampires. Now, what were we going to do about Marcus and Edward? I had a few ideas…

**A/N: How did you like that? That's two chapters of one story in one freakin' day…your welcome! ---Mary McMillin**


	17. Chapter 17

A/N: Suspense!! Yeah! Have fun reading, my friends. ---Mary McMillin

Marcus's P.O.V

I was rather confused…

One minute, I was moping about in my study, not doing anything. And the next, I was rushing up the wives' tower, and my stomach felt rather nauseous. Something was wrong…very, very wrong.

I busted down the door with my shoulder, and was rather surprised to see a wicked-looking Bella standing next to a terrified-looking Jane who was cowering behind Alec.

"Bella, what's wrong?" I asked cautiously, stepping slowly into the room. Bella frowned and a large round of thunder sounded outside the castle. Bella grinned again and disappeared from the room.

I could hear Caius and Aro gasp from where they were seated in the throne room. Well, apparently, Bella can teleport. Wonderful!

I sprinted down the stairs again. Bella was surrounded by a ring of fire. Just like that ring, were two more and they held…nothing. And suddenly, there were two more figures in the room. Inside the rings of fire, stood a white-cloaked woman and a gray-cloaked one.

Bella, who was in the black cloak, removed her hood and I was shocked to see her hair was midnight-black. Her eyes purely blood red. Evil.

The woman in the white cloak removed her hood and I saw she was Bella as well, but she had platinum-blonde hair, her eyes were an ice-blue. She looked pure as an angel.

The woman in the gray cloak removed her hood and I saw Bella. Not with black hair or with white, but with the chocolate-brown locks I loved. Caramel and red streaks ran in and out of the strands. Her eyes were the same as when she had awoken from the change.

What were they all here for? That was when I noticed the swords at their hips.

The Dark Bella rested her sword on the hilt of hers and stepped from the flames. They parted for her willingly, obediently. She smiled, and it wasn't a taunting smile, or an evil one, but a 'bring it on, I'll kick your butts,' smile. She raised one hand and curled a finger.

The real Bella's eyes flashed, and she pulled her sword without a moment of hesitation. Metal clashed. Sparks flied. The white angel stepped back from the fray. She looked at me and shook her head as I stepped slightly forward, intent on fighting.

"Let them work this out themselves," the angel mouthed at me. She then turned back to the blurring figures that were battling in the middle of the throne room.

"You never should have been let loose!" came from one of the two that were quarreling. I recognized it as my Bella.

"_You _belong to _me _now, there's nothing you can do about it!" came the booming, angry voice of the evil Bella.

The fight stopped for a moment. The blurring colors stopped. Both were breathing heavily, circling one another. Bella---the real Bella---was injured and I could see was bleeding badly.

The evil Bella was in much worse shape. She was limping, her head was more or less cracked open, and a large gash was running down the entire length of her torso and lead to one of her legs.

Bella's sword was dripping red and silvery-white. Evil Bella was looking like she had just gone insane. She was shaking. Not with cold, but with rage.

"I'll kill you," the real Bella said calmly. I was surprised. Her voice sounded weak, shaky, and she looked as if she would collapse any second.

The Evil Bella laughed like a crazy woman, her head thrown back and grinning madly.

"By killing me, you'll kill yourself! I am your bad side. The side that gives you the fire to go on! She over there," Evil Bella pointed at the Pure Bella that was standing, watching the battle of words silently, "was no help when you met Edward! She made you take more souls, not me. Who would you rather be?" at this, the Evil Bella's look became so sincere that I almost believed her, "Me? The one that has helped you, the one that never lied to you, the one that gives you power? Or that weak, silly, ignorant girl over there? She'll get you nowhere!"

Bella looked deep in thought and only snapped out of it when the Pure Bella spoke. Her voice was calm, in the soft tones of a weeping angel.

"You believe that I am weak?" she asked simply.

"Yes. Look at you! I mean I---" Evil Bella started, but Pure Bella cut her off.

"I didn't ask for an explanation. I wanted a simple yes or no answer." She said, still calm. "Now, Bella, I believe you have a choice to make," she said to the real Bella that was watching the spout of words like a tennis match.

…

…

…

…

The silence stretched on. Bella finally spoke.

"I don't want to be either of you," she whispered, her eyes full of pain. "I don't want to be pure as an angel. I don't want to be a life-ruining tyrant. I want to be myself. I want to be Bella. But to do so will probably kill me in the process." she took a deep breath and her eyes snapped open again.

She raised her arms, swirling them around her. The two in front of her were paralyzed, as if they were frozen, but I watched them burn. Something flashed from the ceiling, something that I recognized as a jolt of lightning. It was blue-white, and it disintegrated the two that were frozen on the floor. Their ashes were picked up and swirled in the air. Some of them were black, the others were silver.

Bella then did something that shocked me. She took up her sword and slashed two long gashes in herself, one in each shoulder. The ashes disappeared there. And Bella let out a scream. So terrible it could wake the dead. So awful it made me fall to my knees, embracing the pain behind it. And so loud that it would shatter any ear drum, no matter how tough. And Bella fell. And I watched it happen. She fell forward, limply, and hit the floor with an almost deafening thud.

Jane was the first to rush forward, the first to roll Bella over.

"She's not moving. She's not breathing!" Jane called out in horror. Her eyes fell on me, "Marcus! You have to help me, the song! You can still save her!"

The song. The one that I'd imagined. The one that I'd heard Bella sing. But I didn't know the second verse, the part I was supposed to sing.

I shook my head sadly.

"I don't know the second verse." I muttered, ashamed.

"Yes you do!" Jane insisted, glaring hard at me, managing an angry and still pleading look.

The words suddenly came to my head. I walked forward and stroked Bella's hair off her forehead.

"_Another shot of whiskey, can't stop looking at the door._

_Wishing you'd come sweeping in the way you did before._

_And I wonder if I ever cross your mind._

_For me it happens all the time._

"_It's a quarter after one, I'm a little drunk, and I need you now._

_Said I wouldn't call but I lost all control and I need you now._

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now."_

Bella's mouth started to move and the most beautiful words came out.

"_Yes I'd rather hurt than feel nothing at all._

_It's a quarter after one, I'm all alone, and I need you now._

_And I said I wouldn't call, but I'm a little drunk and I need you now. _

_And I don't know how I can do without, I just need you now._

_I just need you now._

_Oh baby I need you now."_

Bella's eyes opened and she smiled up at me.

"I knew you would save me. I knew you could to it." she said softly, closing her eyes.

A/N: I was thinking, and I thought of some questions. I shall answer one of them, that I thought of myself. Right now.

Yes, there will be a sequel.

Yes, I extremely dislike Edward.

No, I won't give you this chapter from Bella's P.O.V

The sequel might take a little while. If you read my other stories, then you'll find that the summaries all have a 'temporarily on hold' sign on them. That is because I want to finish this story first. I will finish the others in the order that I have created them. It was wrong of me to start so many at once. This is my first FanFiction and I am surprised with the amount of response that I've gotten. So many positive reviews! J Well, have a good day, and I'll post again soon!


	18. Epilogue: Party

**A/N: Well, this is the last chapter. I will post the sequel, but it might take a while; I don't know what's going to happen next! Have fun reading, my friends. ---Mary McMillin**

_2 YEARS AFTER THE FIGHT…_

**Bella's P.O.V**

I backed away slowly from Heidi as she advanced on me with the hair curler. Her expression was stern but pleading.

"Oh, c'mon, Bella!" she whined. I shook my head vigorously. No way was she going to us that thing on my hair. Ugh, I swear, sometimes she's as bad as Alice.

Speaking of Alice…

She came bounding through the door, holding my dress. Of course, since Alice was the superstitious vampire that she was, she hadn't even let _me _see the dress. Let alone Marcus. And because I was considered her sister, I abided by her wishes.

"Okay, Bella!" she sang, unzipping the white garment bag. I was floored. It was red and white. My favorite colors!

Mostly the dress was red, with only a small flair of white at the very bottom, but I loved it intensely. **(Picture on my profile) **

I took the dress from her and stepped into it, letting Alice zip up the back. It fit snugly around me until the middle of my thighs, where it proceeded to flair out.

Heidi knelt before me, holding my crown. Marcus had picked it out for me, and Alice had designed the dress around it.

It was white-gold, set with red sapphires and one purely white stone that Marcus had had carved into a large V.

Alice took the crown off the satin pillow and placed it gingerly on my head, adjusting my hair slightly.

"There!" she declared happily, and spun me to face the mirror.

The woman that shone in the cold glass couldn't have been me. She was pale as a cloud, her dark hair framing a perfect face. Her hair was curled (much to her reluctance) and her strange eyes shone with excitement. As I watched, I smiled, and was shocked to see the woman in the mirror do the same. Her dress flowed down her body like a waterfall of blood, waiting to be drunken from. She was perfection, for lack of a better word.

"Bella! Come on! The music is starting!" Alice cried, pulling me away from the mirror. "Oh, thank goodness! I thought you'd gone Rosalie on us!"

"I heard that!" called a faint voice. I shook my head and smiled.

"Here are your flowers, now count to five and then follow Jane," Alice said, handing me a bouquet of white flowers and red ones, with a black rose in the middle.

Heidi and Rosalie walked into the throne room first, with Alice close behind.

"Ready?" Jane asked, looking up at me. I nodded and she put on a huge smile and started scattering petals on the isle.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5. I walked forward, and Carlisle and Aro were waiting on either sides of me, waiting to walk me down the isle. They looped their arms through mine and we waltzed forward.

The alarming number of people in the audience would've frightened me any other day, but not today. Today was only a day for rejoicing.

Marcus's face was focused only on mine, searching the planes of my face, delighted when he met my eyes. I caught his and smiled wider than I'd ever smiled before.

He was the most handsome man in the entire castle. Raven-black hair, proud features, straight, white teeth, and ruby irises that would keep you up at night. Now their endless depths sought my eyes, and I stared back. How did I get this lucky?

Carlisle, Aro, and I reached the end of the isle, both of them kissing the tops of my hands and taking their places at Marcus's side.

I was only looking at Marcus as the man started talking. I looked over at him when he asked and I said, "I do." my voice was half-choked with tears.

"I do." Marcus said, eyes shining brilliantly.

"You may kiss the bride," the minister said, closing his book.

Marcus stepped slightly forward and cradled my face with his hands. Suddenly, he dipped me and brought my lips to his. He swung me back up again and we pulled apart.

A smug smile formed on his lips as he took in my stunned face. I smiled back at him. The audience clapped. White doves that had red streamers on their feet flew from all sides.

Marcus handed me a golden archer's bow. I reached down and lit the tip of an arrow on fire. I slid it through the bow and aimed for the ring that stood just before us in the isle. It lit perfectly. Well, half of it did.

I handed the bow back to Marcus. He smiled and held up an arrow. I lit this one also. He pulled the string back and shot. The other half was lit.

He placed another kiss on my lips. I smiled against his lips.

We headed through the crowd out to the garden. It was where the reception was supposed to be held.

No cake, but lots and lots of blood. Animal, human. And a special treat for me. I had a large punch-bowl of souls waiting for me.

Marcus and I danced to 'Valentine's Dance Tango'. We smiled and laughed and enjoyed our time together. We greeted the Cullens. We danced with other people. We welcomed the Denali coven.

When the night started to come to an end, Marcus picked me up bridal style and said farewell to our guests. He carried me up to our room.

"I love you." he said, eyes closed, face buried in my hair.

"I love you, too." I vowed, kissing his eyelids.

We just held each other on our bed until the sun rose.

We were to live happily ever after…for now.

**A/N: Well, what do you think is going to happen next? Wow. I finished a story…cool! --Mary McMillin**


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